Shamkhani calls on Iraq PM to expel terrorist groups from KRG

Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) of Iran met with visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in Tehran on Sunday.

In the meeting, the top Iranian security official described the growing movements of terrorist groups that have bases in the Iraqi Kurdistan region as a matter of concern and a threat to the security of shared borders between Iran and Iraq and stressed the need for their immediate disarmament and expulsion from Iraq.

Admiral Shamkhani further linked the terrorist movements to the new US security doctrine in the region that will not only not contribute to security and stability but will also exacerbate the crisis and intensify insecurity in the region.

Shamkhani said ending the US presence in the region has inflicted a lot of costs on the nations of the region, stressing the need for intensified efforts and cooperation to punish the perpetrators behind the assassination of IRGC Quds Force commander Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi PMU leader Abu Mahdi Muhandis.

He further called for the implementation of bilateral agreements, especially in the economic field, and said that expanding comprehensive cooperation with neighbors is a top priority for Iran’s foreign policy under the new administration.

The Iraqi premier, for his part, thanked Iran for its help in the fight against terrorism and ISIL, adding “The Iraqi people and government will always stand by the Iranian government and people in times of difficulties and hardships in return for the valuable assistance of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The Iraqi Prime Minister stated that the continuous cooperation between the national security apparatuses of the two countries in various aspects complements and accelerates the relations between Iraq and Iran, adding “Iraq is ready to use its political and security capacities to increase cooperation and closeness of the countries of the region and to resolve misunderstandings that undermine stability.”