Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has urged the expansion of bilateral security cooperation with Iraq to counteract the activities of "separatist terrorist groups" in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Raisi conveyed this message during a telephone conversation with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani. He underscored that any moves made by "separatist terrorist groups" to disrupt regional security would not be tolerated.
The Iraqi Prime Minister, in response, emphasized that the Iraqi government regards Iran's security as being of equal importance to its own. He reaffirmed Iraq's unwavering commitment to combating those who pose a threat to long-term regional security.
The Kurdistan Region, situated in northern Iraq as a semi-autonomous area, serves as a host to camps and facilities operated by various Kurdish factions. Iran designates some of these factions as "separatist terrorists."
In March, Iran and Iraq inked a security agreement that mandated Iraq to disarm the "separatist groups" operating within the Kurdistan Region and relocate them to different facilities.
Back in August, Nasser Kanaani, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, stressed that "terrorist groups" targeting Iran in Iraq's Kurdistan Region must be disarmed and moved away from border regions by the September 19 deadline. He emphasized that no extensions would be granted and that Iran was awaiting the agreement's implementation following its communication to the Kurdistan Region authorities.
