Iran welcomes Iraq troops deployment in Kurdistan region

Iran welcomed, on Monday, the Iraqi federal government’s decision to deploy troops in the border area with the Iraqi Kurdistan region, where Iranian Kurdish opponents are stationed.

“We heard the news about the Iraqi government’s decision to deploy its forces at the borders of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, and we hope this will happen and we welcome it,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanaani, in his weekly press conference on Monday.

“If the Iraqi government needs technical assistance in this regard, we are ready to provide assistance,” he added.

Kanaani said Baghdad’s deployment of its forces in the border area “is part of Iraq’s promises to guarantee the security of the common borders between the two countries”.

READ: Iran strikes dissident sites in Iraq Kurdistan, two dead

On 23 November, Iraq announced its intention to increase the deployment of troops on its borders with Iran and Turkiye in an effort to curb further violations of its sovereignty as attacks by Tehran and Ankara against Kurdish, Turkish and Iranian rebels in the Kurdistan region of Iraq have greatly surged in recent months.

For their part, the Kurdistan military authorities announced that the military reinforcements deployed on the borders will include the Peshmerga special military forces in the Kurdistan region, who are administratively affiliated to the Iraqi Ministry of Defence.

The Iranian authorities accuse the Kurdish opposition factions of fomenting the popular protests that have rocked Iran since 16 September over the death of Mahsa Amini.