Senior Iranian MP:

Independence of Iraqi Kurdistan Region to Challenge Regional Security

Rasa - Vice-Chairman of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Kamal Dehqani blasted the officials of the Iraqi Kurdistan region for attempts to hold a referendum on independence, warning that the move will stir insecurity in the entire region.

News ID: 432459

Date: 16 September 2017 - 18:19

RNA - "We believe that it will challenge the security of the entire region and the main loser of this game will be a part of the Iraqi people, specially those who challenge the sovereignty of the Central government," Dehqani said on Saturday.

He warned that in case of challenging the Central government in Iraq, the ISIL terrorists will fill the vacuum which will lead to more destruction and displacement of thousands of people.

Dehqani described Israel as the only party benefiting from insecurity in the region.

In relevant remarks earlier today, 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 on Saturday.

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.

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