ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US Vice President JD Vance told Rudaw on Thursday that the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Tehran and Washington requires Iran to behave "like a normal country," adding that such a move would benefit Kurds and others affected by Iran-backed groups.
The memorandum was signed by the presidents of both countries on Thursday, days after it was initially signed electronically.
Speaking during a White House press briefing, Vance was asked about continued Iranian attacks on Iranian Kurdish opposition parties based in the Kurdistan Region despite the agreement.
“What this agreement does fundamentally is it requires Iran to behave like a normal country, and if it doesn't, as so many people think that it never will, then it doesn't get any of the economic benefits, and if they do, then that's a great thing for everybody, it's a great thing for the Kurds, it's a great thing for anybody who has been under the brunt or under the threat of Iranian-funded terrorist organizations,” Vance told Rudaw.
“The expectation is that Iran will stop that, but if they don't, they don't get the benefits of the bargain,” he added.
Iran and the militia groups and its supporters have carried out over 865 drone and missile attacks on the Kurdistan Region since the outbreak of the war involving Iran, US and Israel on February 28, according to Rudaw data.
The attacks on the Kurdistan Region have largely stopped, except for those targeting Iranian Kurdish opposition parties based in the Region.
