Iran defense minister:

Secessionist efforts in Iraq detrimental to Middle East

Rasa - In the wake of the secessionist bids of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami says the Islamic Republic is opposed to disintegration of Iraq and any change in the country’s geographical borders.

News ID: 432858

Date: 03 October 2017 - 22:43

RNA - “We regard the secessionist move in Iraq as detrimental to security of the region,” Hatami said on Tuesday.

He added that the Islamic Republic would spare no efforts to maintain the territorial integrity and stability of regional countries and vowed to boost broad cooperation with Iraq to counter the ongoing “destructive” moves in the country with reference to the recent controversial independence referendum in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

He emphasized that the divisive plots in the region are hatched by those who organized and supported Takfiri terrorists.

The Iranian defense minister said those behind Iraq’s partition must know that they are certainly playing in the hands of the US and the Israeli regime “because regional countries need peace, security and stability and any move contrary to regional people’s demands is doomed to failure.”

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) held a non-binding referendum on September 25 on secession from the central government in Baghdad in defiance of Iraq’s stiff opposition.

Major regional and international parties have also voiced serious concern over the secessionist move, saying it would compound the problems of the country, which is already busy with counter-terrorism operations against Daesh terrorist group.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Monday stressed the need to bolster central governments in Syria and Iraq, saying that any change in geographical borders would cause insecurity and instability to spread across the region.

Stressing the necessity of strengthening the central governments in Syria and Iraq in order to maintain the two countries’ territorial integrity, facilitate the war on terror and prevent alterations in geographical borders, Rouhani said, “Any change in geographical borders will cause insecurity and instability to spread throughout the region.”

Hatami also emphasized that the Islamic Republic’s strategy is based on improving peace, stability and security for all regional countries and said this objective is in complete contradiction to those pursued by enemies and the global arrogance.

He noted that Iran’s stance is to cooperate with all regional countries and invited them to boost cooperation with the purpose of establishing peace and stability.

In a meeting with Turkish Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar in Tehran on Monday, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said the recent secession plebiscite held in Kurdistan region would help boost Takfiri terrorism across region while jeopardizing the interests of both the Iraqi and Kurdish people.

“Holding the referendum in Iraq’s Kurdistan will help the Western-Zionist-Arab front supporting Takfiri terrorism achieve its objectives and is definitely in contradiction to the interests of the Iraqi people, particularly the Kurds,” Shamkhani said.

Iran slams divisive efforts in region: Larijani

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani also on Tuesday expressed the country’s opposition to any move which would create chaos and lead to disintegration of regional states.

In a meeting with Denis O'Donovan, the chairperson of Irish Seanad Eireann (Senate), the top Iranian parliamentarian said the sensitivity of Tehran and Dublin on the terrorism crisis in the region can clearly be observed.

847/940