Kurdish gov’t strongly condemns threats by Iranian army commander

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—The Kurdish government in Erbil has responded strongly to the comments of the Iranian army’s second-in-command who threatened the Kurdistan Region on Friday, saying that Iran would go beyond its borders to crush ‘terrorist threats’ emanating from groups based inside Kurdish territories.

“We strongly reject the threats made by Maj. Gen. Salami and see them as inappropriate to the historic and friendly relations between the Kurdistan Region and the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Saturday.

Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami, second-in-command of Iran’s revolutionary guards said at a Friday prayer speech in Tehran University, “I warn the officials of northern Iraq adhere to their commitments as the Islamic Republic will crush threats regardless of geographical considerations.” according to Tehran Times.

The KRG statement said Salami’s threats were against recent friendly talks between Erbil and Tehran.

“Recently there have been friendly talks of understanding between us both and therefore his threats are completely against the nature of these talks,” said the KRG. “These threats do not serve our relations and that kind of language should not be used against the Kurdistan Region.”

Salami’s Friday comments came days after his army clashed with members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) in several villages inside Iranian territory.

The Kurdish government had already warned all Iranian and Turkey’s opposition groups against using Kurdistan Region territories for launching attacks on its neighbors and that they must respect Erbil’s international relations with these countries.

“The Kurdistan Regional Government values its relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran and we continuously endeavor to advance these ties in all aspects,” said the KRG. “Therefore these threats conflict with this direction.”

The Kurdish government statement went on to say that Erbil pursues a policy of neighborly relations, genuine peace and respect for international law and “it has always wanted to be a factor of stability in the region.

“For the same reason we have never wanted territories of the Kurdistan Region to be used for attacks on Iran or any of our neighbors,” read the statement.