FNA- Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani underlined more negotiations between Tehran, Baghdad and Ankara after the recent independence referendum in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, noting that more sanctions will be imposed on Kurds in Iraq.
"Mr. Shamkhani believed that trilateral negotiations among Iran, Iraq and Turkey will continue concurrent with talks with the Kurdistan region's groups and parties, and boycott pressures will be exerted too," Jabbar Khouchakinejad, an Iranian legislator, quoted Shamkhani as saying in a private session at the parliament on Wednesday.
According to the MP, Shamkhani stressed that different measures will be adopted to make the Kurds withdraw from their stances and the Iraqi government can even resort to military action because this separatism has happened in Iraq and the referendum has been against the Iraqi constitution, he added.
"The SNSC secretary also emphasized that Iran will support the Iraqi government's measures," Kouchakinejad said.
The referendum was held on Monday in defiance of the central government in Baghdad, which says the referendum is unconstitutional and called on the Kurdish leadership to drop the plan.
Iran, Iraq, and Turkey have jointly voiced concerns about the Kurdish independence vote, warning that it could fan the flames of tensions in the Middle East.
The UN Security Council also unanimously issued a statement on Thursday voicing alarm over the potentially destabilizing impact of the plebiscite. The 15-member council urged dialogue and compromise to address the differences between Baghdad and the Kurdish authorities.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) announced on Sunday that it has closed its airspace to all flights to and from the Iraqi Kurdistan region at the demand of the Baghdad government.
"All Iranian flights to Soleimaniyeh and Erbil as well as flights from the Iraqi Kurdistan region passing through the Iranian airspace came to a halt at the demand of Iraq's central government," SNSC Spokesman Keivan Khosravi said.
He said that the decision was taken after the failure of Iran's good-will political efforts to convince the Iraqi Kurdistan region's officials not to hold an independence referendum.
Khosravi added that the hasty decision by some Kurdistan region officials will limit the Kurds' power as an actor and in constructive talks and will create serious challenges for Iraq's sovereignty and the security of the Kurdish people, Iraq and the region.