Iran announced on August 28 that it has reached an agreement with Iraq aimed at disarming and relocating Kurdish militant factions. Tehran emphasized that it would take action if Baghdad fails to uphold its commitment by the middle of September, DW reports.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanani, stated in a press conference that, "Based on a deal between the Iranian and Iraqi governments, Iraq has pledged to disarm armed terrorist groups within its borders by September 19." Kanani stressed that this deadline would not be extended under any circumstances. He added that if Iraq does not fulfill its obligations by then, Iran would take measures to ensure the country's security.
Kanani disclosed that Baghdad had consented to the "transfer [of Kurdish militants] to camps provided by the Iraqi government." Although an Iraqi foreign ministry spokesman did not provide a response to inquiries, it was confirmed that Iran's objective is to have Kurdish opposition groups within Iraq disarmed and relocated to refugee camps.
The motivation behind Iran's concern regarding Kurdish militants in Iraq can be traced to the autonomous Kurdish region in the north, which accommodates camps affiliated with various Iranian Kurdish factions. Tehran categorizes these factions as "terrorist" groups.
Additionally, Iran has accused Iranian Kurdish militants situated in Iraq of inciting unrest following the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman who died while in police custody. The Kurdish population totals around 35mn and traditionally resides in southeastern Turkey, northeastern Syria, northern Iraq, and western Iran.
In March, Iran and Iraq entered into an agreement to safeguard their shared border. In the subsequent month, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi asserted, "The security of Iraq and its borders is very important to us."
In previous years, Iran has launched numerous attacks against Kurdish groups that have been in exile in northern Iraq for decades. Mid-July saw Iraq's Interior Ministry announce the deployment of a brigade at the Iran-Iraq border in coordination with authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan. The ministry also allocated approximately $7mn for the construction of new border posts during that period.
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