Iran will not tolerate armed presence of terrorists in Kurdistan: FM

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + Al Mayadeen Net
16 Oct 2022 00:03
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The Iranian FM calls on Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan to take full responsibility for dealing with terrorists in the Region.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian held a meeting with the Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim Al-Araji in Tehran

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian held on Saturday a meeting with the Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim Al-Araji in Tehran.

During the meeting, Amir-Abdollahian pointed to the expanding relations between Tehran and Baghdad in all fields, especially the cooperation in the field of security, including the need to deal with terrorists based in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.

The Iranian Minister described the relations between the two countries as strategic and privileged, adding that "we consider the security of Iraq as the security of Iran."

He pointed out that "considering the good relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Iraq, we do not expect that the territory of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq will be used as a place for terrorist acts and be a threat against Iran."

Amir-Abdollahian called on Iraq and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region to take full responsibility for dealing with the terrorist groups.

"We have always wanted a prosperous, free and independent Iraq and we want nothing but good for the Iraqi government and nation, but we will not tolerate the continued armed presence of terrorists in the Kurdistan Region and their actions against Iran's security," the top Iranian diplomat affirmed.

On his part, Al-Araji said that "the Iraqi constitution does not allow the activities of people and movements that threaten the neighbors."

The Iraqi official assured that "any anti-security action against Iran will be dealt with the action of the central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government," stressing that "Iraq considers Iran's security as its own security."

Last week, Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein announced that a delegation would head to Iran and discuss Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) attacks on terrorist sites in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.

Bagheri: We will not tolerate presence of 3,000 military personnel behind our border wall

In a related context, the chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, said the Iranian army is monitoring US bases in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and is aware of the number of its forces, vowing a response in case US forces target any Iranian drones.

Bagheri stressed that Iran can never tolerate the presence of 3,000 military personnel who have a bomb-making center behind its border wall and will confront them by all means.

IRGC launch attacks against terror groups in Iraqi Kurdistan

It is noteworthy that in early October, the IRGC launched a fresh round of attacks on terrorist groups' positions as part of the recent anti-terror operation in Iraqi Kurdistan.

The IRGC Ground Force launched new artillery and rocket strikes against separatist terrorists in northern Iraq after similar strikes were conducted on the 24, 26, and 28th of September.

The commander of the ground forces of the IRGC, Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour, said, "The chosen targets certainly belong to the terrorist groups working against Iran," asking the authorities in northern Iraq to expel all "the terrorist groups and conspirators" against the Islamic Republic.

Pakpour stressed that "the operations will continue until the complete disarmament of the terrorist groups that are working against the Islamic Republic."

The IRGC had announced it was launching an operation that included missile and armed drone strikes targeting the headquarters of the Komala and Kurdistan Democratic Party terrorist groups after the groups illegally sent armed individuals to Iranian cities in recent times.

The Iranian forces said Tehran had several times on various occasions warned the officials of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region about terrorist groups and their activities in the northern region. However, according to the IRGC, the local authorities failed to take proper measures to curb terrorist activity.

Last Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, said Iran's bombing of the headquarters of separatist groups in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region was completely legal, pointing out that the Iraqi government should not allow the Iraqi territory to become a center for launching attacks against Iran.