Iran's Foreign Minister and the head of Iraq's Kurdistan Region held talks in Tehran on [date unspecified], focusing on measures to enhance security along their shared border. Both sides agreed that ensuring security along the frontier is a top priority to prevent terrorist activities and smuggling.
During the meeting, the Iranian Foreign Minister emphasized Tehran's stance against allowing any hostile forces to use Iraqi territory, particularly the Kurdistan Region, to threaten Iran's national security. Iran also called on Iraq to swiftly implement previously signed security agreements, including deploying military forces along the border and closing the offices of armed opposition groups.
For his part, the Kurdistan Region's leader reaffirmed the region's commitment to cooperating with Iraq's central government to prevent destabilizing activities from spilling over into Iran. "We respect the security and territorial integrity of neighboring countries. Any elements that abuse Kurdistan's territory will not be accepted," he said in a joint statement.
The two sides also discussed promoting economic, trade, and cultural cooperation among border areas and agreed to strengthen intelligence-sharing mechanisms to swiftly address potential threats.
The meeting took place against a backdrop of Iran having repeatedly launched missile and drone attacks on positions it says shelter Kurdish separatist groups in northern Iraq. Tehran and Baghdad signed a security agreement last March aimed at disarming these groups and relocating them away from the border area.
