Iraq Begins Transfer of Iranian Kurdish Fighters

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein announced today, Tuesday, that "the country has started to relocate Iranian Kurdish groups from the borders of the Iraqi Kurdistan region with Iran to camps further away from the border as part of an agreement between Baghdad and Tehran." He mentioned in a press conference that "based on the agreement between the Iranian government and the Iraqi government, necessary measures have been taken to move these groups away from border areas and they have been settled in camps deeper within Iraqi Kurdistan." He added that "he will visit Tehran tomorrow, Wednesday, to convey the message in person, hoping that it will prevent any escalation of the situation at the border." Hussein stated, "We will discuss with the Iranian side the need to refrain from threats of violence and the threat of bombing certain areas in the Kurdistan region of Iraq." Iraq and Iran signed a border security agreement in March, a step that Iraqi officials say primarily aims to tighten border security with the Iraqi Kurdistan region, as Tehran claims that Kurdish separatists pose a threat to its security.