Leader’s Top Military Aide Warns of Long War by Changing Regional States Borders

“We think that creation of a new country or government in the region is desired by the arrogant system, headed by the US and the Zionists, because changing the region’s geopolitical borders means permanent tensions and long war between four regional states and a de facto government in the future which wants to be formed and this insecurity and tension is desired by the Zionist regime and the Americans for permanent deployment in the region,” General Rahim Safavi said on Wednesday.

He added that the main blame of ther independence referendum in the Iraqi Kurdistan region should be put on the Zionists, the US and certain Arab countries.

In defiance of Iraq’s stiff opposition, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) held a non-binding referendum on September 25 on secession from the central government in Baghdad.

Official results showed 92.73 percent of voters backed the secession. Turnout was put at 72.61 percent.

While much of the international community, including the United Nations, the European Union and Iraq’s neighbors, has opposed the referendum, only Israel has openly supported an independent Kurdish state.

Regional players Iran and Turkey have opposed the Kurdish referendum in Iraq, warning that the controversial vote could lead to further instability in the entire Middle East.