Iraq intends to deploy armed forces in Kurdistan region - Iranian FM
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani says the Iraqi government has confirmed it will deploy its armed forces in Iraqi Kurdistan soon, where the anti-Iranian Kurdish groups are located.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani
The Iraqi government has confirmed to Iran that in order to enhance border security, it will deploy its armed forces in the Iraqi Kurdistan region soon, where the anti-Iranian Kurdish groups are located, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said on Monday.
"One of the topics we touched upon during [Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed] Sudani's visit to Tehran was the security of the border with this country. The Iraqi government promised to fulfill its obligations. Fortunately, we heard good news in this regard, the Iraqi government intends to station troops on the border between its autonomous region of Kurdistan and Iran," Kanaani said.
Read: Iraqi forces to be redeployed on borders with Iran, Turkey: Baghdad
In connection with the alleged involvement of Kurdish groups based in northern Iraq in ongoing protests in Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a military operation against them in October. Over the past several weeks, on November 14 and 21, the IRGC launched missile attacks on the Kurdish groups based in the Kirkuk region.
Huge weapon stockpile seized on its way from Iraqi Kurdistan to Iran
Tabnak, an Iranian media outlet, published a report yesterday exposing images of a huge stockpile of confiscated weapons - on their way to Iran - seized by the Iraqi authorities in Sulaymaniyah, east of the Iraqi Kurdistan region, which isn't too far from the Iraqi-Iranian border.
Tabnak writes that this was the largest weapon smuggling operation thwarted so far, a part of the series of arms being smuggled into Iran to incite further civil unrest and violence.
Kalashnikov rifles, pistols, and ammunition are visibly exposed right in front of an arrested suspect in an orange jumpsuit. Behind the suspect is a logo of the Asayesh, the Kurdish intelligence body of the Iraqi Kurdistan region.
Iranian security forces have been on high alert for preventing the flow of illicit weapons into their country to arm the rioters.
Read: Foreign plot to ignite civil war, divide Iran failed: Iranian FM
Last week, Iranian intelligence busted a weapon smuggling ring attempting to hack into Iran through the Sistan and Baluchestan provinces.
More often than not, said weapons are usually smuggled into the country through the Iraqi Kurdistan region, reaching the hands of rioters and separatist groups. From the start of the violent riots till now, 60 of Iran's security forces have been killed.
Former US national security chief, John Bolton, has recently openly admitted that the "opposition" in Iran is armed, and that their weapons are being smuggled from the Iraqi Kurdistan region.
Bolton made the remarks during an interview with the London-based BBC Persian TV channel.