“The language of threat is expired,” Sarbast Lazgin, deputy Peshmerga minister, told Rudaw in response to Erfan al-Hiyali, the Iraqi defense minister. “The politics of the Kurdistan Region is clear and open which always emphasizes that problems with Baghdad have to be solved peacefully and through talks.”
Lazgin went on to say “threatening is not good. But we from the Kurdistan Region defend ourselves in face of any possible threats from any place.”
The visiting Iraqi defense minister in Tehran warned on Sunday that the Iraqi army will deter any “occupation” or bid “dividing” the country, according to Iran’s state-run news agency.
The Iraqi army independently and based on the past years’ experiences will face any animosity or “occupation” on its land, IRNA reported the Iraqi defense minister Hiyali as saying in his meeting with Ali Shamkhani, who is the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
In a possible reference to the Kurdistan Region’s independence referendum bid, Hiyali added that Baghdad would also disallow any of what he described as “illegal measures” and the creation of “sedition” aimed at dividing Iraq.
The Kurdish Peshmerga official explained that they have “good relations with the Iraqi army on a high level, and these relations would continue and we reject these threats.”
Hiyali also expressed appreciation for Tehran’s military support in fighting “terrorism” in Iraq, describing Iran’s efforts as decisive.
For his part, Shamkhani assured Baghdad that Tehran would help preserve the unity and sovereignty of Iraq.
He also said “attempts aimed at partitioning Iraq” will lay the groundwork for what he called deteriorating the security of its neighboring country.
Shamkhani added that territorial integrity and national unity of Iraq guarantees stability, security and interests of all Iraqi sects and ethnic groups.
Iran has expressed opposition to the Kurdistan Region’s referendum that could lead to furthering the disunity of Iraq.
And in a recent visit to Tehran by a Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) delegation, Shamkhani warned the PUK delegation that an independence referendum will isolate and weaken Kurdistan.
“Although this issue might be attractive in appearance, but actually, it will isolate and pressure the Iraqi Kurds and weaken Kurdistan and finally all of Iraq,” Shamkhani had told the PUK delegation.
The Kurdistan Region will hold a referendum on independence on September 25.
Hoshyar Zebari, a senior Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and member of the Referendum High Council, told Rudaw TV on Saturday, “We have not seen any country, except for Iran, to directly and with determination oppose the principle of referendum.”
Also on Sunday, Iranian IRNA news agency reported that Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehqan and Hiyali had signed a memorandum of understanding which would allow joint military exercises and cooperation.
Tehran and the Shiite-dominated government in Baghdad have enjoyed strong ties since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime in 2003.
