Iraq’s foreign minister to visit Iran as deadline to disarm Kurdish armed groups looms

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) – Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein is expected to visit Tehran on Wednesday as a September 19 deadline for Baghdad to disarm Kurdish armed groups looms.

Bilateral relations and regional and international issues will be discussed during the visit, with the focus primarily on a recent security agreement between the two sides, according to Iranian media.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Austrian counterpart in Baghdad on Tuesday, Fuad said Iraq’s Constitution “does not allow any party to use Iraqi soil to attack neighboring countries.”

He said the Iraqi government adheres to its security agreement with Iran and has taken necessary measures to relocate Kurdish groups that Iran has accused of carrying out violent attacks.

In late August, Iran announced an agreement with the Iraqi government on “disarming and relocating” the “armed terrorist groups” in northern Iraq’s Kurdish region by September 19.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said the Iraqi government has “committed to disarming the armed separatist terrorist groups” and evacuating them from the military barracks.

The issue has dominated official exchanges between the two sides in recent weeks with Iran insisting that it will not extend the deadline.

At his weekly press conference on Monday, Kanaani said Iran’s stance is “completely clear” and that the ultimatum given to Iraq to disarm Kurdish groups will not be extended.

In a Saturday telephone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi had said the “acts of provocation by terrorist and separatist groups” undermine regional security.