Iranian, Iraqi and Turkish boost military on Kurdish border in ‘dangerous escalation’

The deployment on the Parviz Khan border was part of a joint military drill between the Iranian and Iraqi armed forces on Monday.

An official from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) security council said: “The tanks can be seen from the Kurdish side.”

He added that the move is a “dangerous escalation”.

It comes after Iraq’s Kurds voted overwhelmingly for independence in a referendum last week.

Iran’s Mehr news agency said the military exercises were a response to the Kurdish independence referendum.

The Iraqi Government has demanded that the Kurdish leadership cancels the result of the referendum, which voted in favour of independence, or face sanctions, international isolation and possible military intervention.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters anonymously: “We have always respected our borders with our neighbours and any military move will be in coordination with Baghdad and our allies.”

A small Iraqi force is also taking part in military drills with Turkey on its border.

Iran’s military chief, General Mohammad Baqeri said: “Iran and Turkey share the same stance on the referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan and both insist on the sovereignty of Iraq.

“The armed forces of both countries will increase cooperation in training and war games.”

The referendum defied the central Government in Baghdad as well as neighbouring Turkey and Iran which fear Kurdish separatism within their countries.

The KRG said it wants to use the referendum’s result to negotiate a peaceful secession of the Kurdish region through talks with Baghdad.

KRG President Masoud Barzani said on Monday that it is legitimate to hold the vote in Kurdish areas such as the multi-ethnic oil city of Kirkuk which Baghdad also claims ownership.

While visiting the city, Mr Barzani said: “Kirkuk is a Kurdistani city which should become an example for the coexistence of nations and religions.”

But Baghdad has rejected talks with the KRG about independence.

It has also demanded that the KRG relinquishes control over its external border crossings with Turkey, Iran and Syria.

Iraq’s defence ministry said on Friday that Iraqi authorities plan to take control of the borders of the autonomous Kurdish region in “coordination” with Iran and Turkey.

Iranian state television quoted a military spokesman that Iran and Iraq “agreed on measures to establish border security and receive Iraqi forces that are to be stationed at border posts”.