Kurdish Referendum to Open Way for Israel in Iraq: Iran’s Velayati
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s decision to hold an independence referendum faces an uncertain fate, Iranian official Ali Akbar Velayati said, 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.
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".
The Baghdad government and several other countries, including Iran and Turkey, have opposed the referendum.
