Iran Warns Iraqi Kurdistan of Harsh Repercussions of Referendum for Ties with Neighbors

TEHRAN (defapress)- Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani warned that referendum for independence in the Iraqi Kurdistan region will have dire impacts on ties with the neighboring states.

News ID: 65965

Date: 17 September 2017 - 16:03

"The Islamic Republic of Iran which has always and in the hardest conditions stood beside the Kurdish brothers as a friend and ally doesn’t rate holding referendum as beneficial to the Iraqi Kurdistan region and is opposed to it," Shamkhani said in an interview with the state TV on Sunday.

He underlined the Kurdish officials' influential and important role in the Iraqi government, and said, "The neighbors' opposition to the referendum will create complicated and harsh conditions for Kurdistan in the region after the referendum."

Shamkhani elaborated on Iran's political and diplomatic activities through close talks with the officials in Kurdistan region, Iraq and other neighboring countries, and said, "Iran certainly recognizes the united, integrated and federal government in Iraq only."

In relevant remarks on Saturday, Iranian Supreme Leader's top aide for international affairs Ali Akbar Velayati warned of the security repercussions of any independence-seeking attempt in the region, stressing his country's opposition to the Iraqi Kurdistan region's bid to this end.

"The Iraqi people want an integrated country and any move, consciously or unconsciously, for independence of a part of Iraq or any country in the region is opposed by the Islamic Republic of Iran," Velayati told reporters in Tehran.

Warning that independence of any ethnic group in the region will have domino-like effect in other regional states, he said that such moves for independence only serve the interests of the US and Israel.

"Independence of different ethnic groups in the regional states harms security and we are against it," Velayati added.

Also, in July, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani warned of enemies' plots to disintegrate Iraq, calling on the Kurds not to allow materialization of hostile plans against their country by arranging an independence referendum.

"The plot to disintegrate Iraq is what the enemies are after and certainly, such issues create some tensions which will destroy the achievements already gained," Larijani said in a meeting with officials of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in Tehran.

Warning that certain differences shouldn’t endanger ties between the Shiites and Sunnis, he said, "Safeguarding the country's security should be of prior importance."

Larijani underlined that despite certain deficiencies and problems in Iraq, the Kurds have attained good achievements after the end of Saddam Hussein's era in Iraq.