Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali-Akbar Ahmadian has underscored the Islamic Republic’s commitment to the security and stability of Iraq in an official visit to the neighboring country.
Ahmadian, who is in Baghdad for a one-day visit, made the remark in a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Monday and expressed Iran’s interest in the continuation of cooperation with Iraq based on a joint security agreement signed last year to safeguard the security of both neighbors.
Back on March 19, 2023, Tehran and Baghdad signed a security agreement in the Iraqi capital, which includes coordination in protecting the common border between the two countries.
Under the agreement, the Iraqi government pledged to disarm anti-Iran terrorist and separatist groups based in the country’s northern Kurdistan region and relocate them from the border areas.
During the Monday meeting, al-Sudani, for his part, voiced Iraq’s commitment to the principles of good neighborliness and forging strong relations with countries in the region and across the world.
Stressing that Iraq will not compromise on its sovereignty and national security, al-Sudani said, “In line with the common interests of the people of the region, Iraq has made and will continue to make a lot of effort to maintain stability and achieve peace.”
The presence of Kurdish terrorist groups, including Komala, the so-called Kurdistan Democratic Party, Kurdistan Free Life Party, and the Kurdistan Freedom Party, has been a source of tension between Iran and Iraq for years, with these groups often carrying out terrorist attacks on Iranian soil.
Iran has, on countless occasions, warned Iraqi Kurdistan’s local authorities that it will not tolerate the presence and activity of terrorist groups along its northwestern borders, saying the country will give a decisive response should those areas become a haven for anti-Tehran terrorists.
Last month, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) targeted with barrages of ballistic missiles an Israeli espionage center in the Iraqi Kurdistan region and also struck Syrian bases of terrorists who were involved in recent attacks in Iran.
Engagement in meaningful, constructive talks
Earlier in the day, Ahmadian met with Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji and discussed the political and security situation in the region, also exchanging views on the consolidation of Tehran-Baghdad ties.
Pointing to the deep-rooted and historical relations between the two countries, Iran’s top security official said, “All issues can be resolved through meaningful and constructive negotiations.”
Al-Araji, for his part, described the Iran-Iraq relations as distinguished and strategic, stressing that the two neighboring countries enjoy many commonalities.
Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali-Akbar Ahmadian (L) meets with his Iraqi counterpart, Qasim al-Araji, in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on February 5, 2024. (Photo by IRNA)
“Iraq has always sought to strengthen its relations with other countries in a way that common interests are protected based on the principle of mutual respect,” he said.
The Iraqi official added that engagement in constructive talks would resolve emerging problems.
