Iran warns against consequences of Iraq breakup

“Certain parties which speak about Iraq’s breakup do not pay attention to its adverse consequences for security and stability of the region,” Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in a meeting with the secretary of Iraq’s Islamic Virtue Party, Hashim al-Hashimi, in Tehran on Wednesday.

He reaffirmed the significance of Iraq for Iran, saying, “We carefully follow up on Iraq’s developments and believe that the smart and patient Iraqi people will be able to defeat terrorism in light of the unity and foresight of [Iraq’s] political and religious leaders,” the Iranian official said.

The Iranian official’s remarks came after President of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Masoud Barzani released a statement on Wednesday, saying that the “time has come” for the country’s Kurdish people to hold a referendum on statehood.

“The time has come and the conditions are now suitable for the people to make a decision through a referendum on their future,” Barzani said, adding, “This referendum would not necessarily lead to (an) immediate declaration of statehood, but rather to know the will and opinion of the people of Kurdistan about their future.”

In the past, Barzani had made similar calls for a referendum without setting a specific timetable or date.

Iran playing constructive role in ME: Hashimi

The Iraqi official said, for his part, that Iran has been playing a constructive role in the region.

Hashimi added that Iraqis will succeed in achieving development through unity and consensus despite all plots against the country.