Iran will face no threats through Iraqi Kurdistan: Iraq FM

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
19 Sep 2023 12:41

During talks with his Iranian counterpart, the Iraqi FM praises the prisoner exchange agreement between Tehran and Washington.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (Iraqi Foreign Ministry)

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein affirmed that Iran will face no threats through the Iraqi Kurdistan region in accordance with the security agreement between Tehran and Baghdad.

Hussein met on Monday with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in New York.

During the talks, the two top diplomats addressed subjects of common interest, as well as Iraqi Kurdistan-related files.

The Iraqi Foreign Minister praised the prisoner exchange agreement between Tehran and Washington and the release of Iran's assets in South Korea, calling it a positive move and crucial in the process of sanctions relief.

It is noteworthy that Iran and Iraq signed a security deal in March in which the Iraqi government committed to disarming and relocating terrorist and separatist organizations located in the Iraqi Kurdistan region by September 19.

On Monday, Iraq's National Security Advisor, Qassem al-Araji, went to Erbil, chairing a senior security delegation to oversee the implementation of the agreement. The trip came at the direction of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

In an interview for Iran newspaper, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani revealed that the country would take appropriate action against terrorists in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, as per the agreement.

The deadline previously agreed upon on September 19 would not be extended, Ashtiani pointed out, emphasizing that Iran would carry out last-minute assessments before making a decision.

It is noteworthy that Iranian security and armed forces have carried out a number of operations against separatist groups planning to destabilize the security of the country and harm its citizens.

Since the beginning of 2023, Tehran has submitted over 70 documents to Iraq documenting the presence of armed terrorist groups in the Iraqi Kurdistan region after the IRGC launched a series of missile and drone attacks on "centers of conspiracy and anti-Iran establishments in the region."

At the time, Iran sent a message to the United Nations Security Council explaining the reasons behind its strikes on the terrorist groups, emphasizing that it had exhausted all other options.