SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — In an official visit to Tehran on Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani reassured Iranian authorities that Iraqi land will not threaten the neighboring country’s security, referring to the anti-Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in the Kurdistan Region.
Following a meeting with Sudani, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Wednesday that Tehran and Baghdad will continue to coordinate in the fight against “terrorism.”
Raisi also said Iraq’s role in maintaining stability in the region is significant, and the Prime Minister’s visit to Iran will help resolve regional issues.
Iran’s president emphasized that the presence of foreign troops would exacerbate regional problems.
“Iraq will not forget Tehran’s support for Baghdad after the 2003 [US invasion] and the war against ISIS,” Sudani said.
In Sudani’s meeting with Raisi, a main topic was the presence of anti-Iranian Kurdish opposition parties in the Kurdistan Region.
Sudani said his government is bound by the constitution, which prevents Iraqi territory from being used against Iran.
جرت، صباح اليوم الثلاثاء، في القصر الرئاسي بالعاصمة الإيرانية طهران، مراسم استقبال رسمي لرئيس مجلس الوزراء @mohamedshia .
وكان في حفل الاستقبال الرسمي لسيادته، الرئيس الإيراني السيد إبراهيم رئيسي، حيث شهدت المراسم عزف النشيد الوطني لكلّ من العراق وإيران، واستعراض حرس الشرف. pic.twitter.com/AnbyRz01DP
— المكتب الإعلامي لرئيس الوزراء 🇮🇶 (@IraqiPMO) November 29, 2022
In his remarks, the Iraqi Prime Minister stated that the security of the two countries complements one another and contributes to regional stability.
Sudani also said they would develop bilateral relations with Iran in all fields and agreed with the Iranian president to activate joint economic committees.
Iran has become increasingly concerned about the presence of Kurdish parties in the Kurdistan Region since the outbreak of the nationwide protests, accusing them of involvement in expanding demonstrations there and inciting people to “chaos,” as senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders have repeatedly said they have pointed that out.
Iranian forces have carried out three missile and drone attacks on Kurdish party headquarters in Erbil’s Koya district, Sulaimani’s Zirgwez mountain, and Kirkuk’s Altun Kupri subdistrict in the past two months, as well as bombing the border areas of Sidakan in Erbil province, where Peshmerga and Kurdish opposition groups have bases.
It has threatened to continue attacking the Kurdistan Region unless Iraqi and Kurdish authorities disarm and expel Kurdish groups.
Following concerns about the threat from the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani visited Baghdad last week.
The Kurdistan Region Presidency said that Erbil and Baghdad will coordinate with neighboring countries to secure the borders, but the measures are unclear and do not say what they will do, while the opposition groups refuse to disarm.
