Iran, Iraq discuss security pact as relocation of Kurdish armed groups begins

By Syed Zafar Mehdi
TEHRAN, Iran (AA) – Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Wednesday he discussed with his Iraqi counterpart a security pact on disarming Kurdish armed groups in northern Iraq.

Addressing a joint press conference following his talks with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein in Tehran, Amir-Abdollahian said “good information” was exchanged regarding the “relocation of terrorist groups” from areas near the border with Iran.

In late August, Iran announced an agreement with the Iraqi government on “disarming and relocating” the “armed terrorist groups” in northern Iraq’s Kurdish region by Sept. 19.

Iraq’s top diplomat arrived in Tehran on Wednesday for discussions with Iranian officials as the September 19 deadline looms.

On Tuesday, Hussein said the process of relocating Kurdish armed groups far from the border with Iran has begun.

"Based on the agreement between Iraq and Iran, necessary measures were taken to remove these groups from the border areas," Hussein said.

Iranian state media reported on Wednesday that the process of relocating Kurdish armed groups has started ahead of the September 19 deadline.

Amir-Abdollahian said efforts are underway to disarm Kurdish armed groups in line with the security agreement.

He said giving these groups “even one hour” is “detrimental” to the security of Iraq, Iran and the entire region, calling for immediate measures to disarm and relocate them.

The top Iranian diplomat said Tehran is serious about ensuring its security, and expressed happiness with the information provided by high-ranking Iraqi officials on the relocation of the Kurdish armed groups from the border.

Iraq’s chief diplomat, for his part, said the Arab country’s constitution does not allow any group to launch attacks from Iraqi territory on other countries.

He reaffirmed Baghdad’s commitment to the security agreement with Iran and disarming Kurdish armed groups along the border, who he said will be shifted to camps supervised by the United Nations.

Hussein said the plan will be implemented in the next two days, before the September 19 deadline.

The issue of Kurdish armed groups has put a shadow on relations between Iran and Iraq in recent years with Tehran repeatedly insisting on disarming these groups, accusing them of launching attacks on the Iranian territory.

At a weekly press conference on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Iran’s stance is “completely clear” and that the deadline to disarm Kurdish armed groups will not be extended.

On Saturday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said the “acts of provocation by terrorist and separatist groups” undermine regional security and stressed greater cooperation.

In recent days, a series of meetings have been held between Iranian officials and members of Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in Tehran and Erbil. In his meeting with Bafel Talabani, head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Iran’s foreign minister on Monday said “the goal is to achieve stability and coexistence in the region.”
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KRG President Nechirvan Barzani and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also held separate meetings in Erbil on Monday with Iranian Ambassador in Baghdad Mohammad Kazem Al-e Sadeq.