Iran to reopen its borders linking Iraq’s Kurdistan region, weeks after Kurdish independence vote

The Iranian government has announced plans to reopen all its borders intersecting with Iraq’s Kurdistan region in few days’ time.

The announcement to lift imposed border restrictions was made on Monday by Iran’s Chief of Staff, Major General Mohammad Baqeri, after last month’s Kurdish vote in favour of independence.

“Border restrictions between Iran and Iraq’s Kurdish region will be lifted in coming days”, Bageri said.

He added that if Kurdistan implemented its plan to break away from Iraq, “there would be bloodshed in Iraq and neighboring countries would be affected”.

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Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani said he would give up his position as president on November 1, after the independence referendum he championed backfired and triggered military action by Baghdad.

After the vote, Iraqi troops were ordered by the country’s Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, to take control of areas claimed by both Baghdad and the Kurdish government.

Abadi wants to take control of the border crossings between the Kurdish region and Turkey, Iran and Syria, including one through which an oil export pipeline crosses into Turkey.

Iran, which has its own Kurdish minority, also opposes independence for Iraqi Kurds, and at the request of Baghdad, closed its borders with the Kurdish region in northern Iraq and halted all flights there and back.

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