Iran Opposes Kurdish Independence Referendum, Urges UN Support for Iraq’s Territorial Integrity

As the Iraqi Kurdistan Region is gearing up for an independence referendum, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called on the United Nations to throw its weight behind Iraq’s territorial integrity, warning against the perils posed by changes in the political boundaries of the region.

In a meeting with Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres in New York on Monday, President Rouhani called on the UN to provide full support for Iraq’s territorial integrity and protect its Constitution, Tasnim news Agency reported.

 He also warned against the “serious threats” of an independence referendum in the northern Iraqi Kurdistan Region and of any move to change the political boundaries of the regional countries.

Authorities in Iraq’s Kurdish region have announced that the northern territory will hold the independence referendum on September 25.

On Monday, Iraq’s top court ordered the suspension of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) referendum on independence.

The Supreme Court’s ruling calls for all preparations for the planned vote to be halted, following a review of multiple “requests to stop the referendum”.

Velayati: Kurdish Referendum to Open Way for Zionists’ infiltration into Iraq

Iranian official Ali Akbar Velayati also said that the Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s decision to hold an independence referendum faces an uncertain fate, warning that the controversial plan would allow the Zionist regime of Israel to establish a foothold in Iraq.

Holding an independence referendum within a sovereign state like Iraq will be a prelude to disintegration, Velayati said, reiterating the Iraqi government, Iran and the international community’s opposition to such a referendum.

The top adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei also said that such separatist moves could spill over to other countries and pave the way for the Zionists and Israelis’ infiltration into Iraq.

He also stressed that Washington’s real intents differ from its apparent stances, saying Washington seeks to weaken regional countries and steer the region toward disintegration.

The US’s ultimate purpose is to play the role of a supporter for various ethnic groups and plunge the entire region into chaos, Velayati warned.

He finally slammed the Iraqi Kurdish region’s plan for referendum as a threat to ethnic groups, saying it will result in the partitioning of countries, although it is purported to be for independence.

Kurdish Referendum Can Create Serious Challenges for Iraq, Neighbors: IRGC Official

A top official at the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warned against the repercussions of a unilateral plan by Iraq’s Kurdistan Region to hold an independence referendum next week and said the move would cause serious challenges for the Arab country and its neighbors. 

“Holding a referendum at a time when we are entering the post-Daesh era could give rise to serious regional challenges for Iraq and its neighboring countries,” IRGC Lieutenant Commander for Political Affairs Brigadier General Rasoul Sanaei-Rad told the Tasnim News Agency.

 “Today, the administration and parliament of Iraq are opposed to holding a referendum,” the commander noted.

He added that given the measures adopted by Masoud Barzani, the president of the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), over the past years, this plan seems to be more a move to gain personal interests than one aimed at helping the Kurdish people.

Barzani announced the vote on June 7.

Earlier this month, Iraqi parliamentarians rejected the legitimacy of the vote and the central government in Baghdad which is strongly opposed to this move has said it will do everything possible to keep the unity of the country intact.

Iraq’s Hakim Urges Kurds to Call Off Referendum

Iraq’s integrity is a “red line” for the Arab country, the head of the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), Ammar al-Hakim, said, calling on the semi-autonomus Kurdish region to scrap plans to hold a referendum on independence later this month.

“Iraq’s integrity is a red line that cannot be violated”, Hakim said in a meeting with Iraqi tribal leaders in southeastern Wasit province.

Urging that Baghdad’s dispute with Erbil over the referendum plan should be resolved via dialogue, he emphasized that the vote should be canceled.

H.M