Iraqi Kurdistan president says Tehran ready to help Baghdad curb illegal arms

Tehran is ready to assist Baghdad in curbing illegal arms transfers and consolidating state control over weapons, President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq Nechirvan Barzani told Al Arabiya.

“Weapons must be exclusively under the control of the state and subject to the orders of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, who is the Iraqi prime minister,” he stressed.

Barzani said that during his visit to Tehran, he received assurances from Iranian officials that they support Iraqi Prime Minister al-Zaidi, who is seeking to restrict the circulation of weapons and establish full control over the strategic city of Jurf al-Sakhr, which is considered a hub for armed groups, including Kataib Hezbollah.

“Iranian officials responsible for Iraqi affairs confirmed that they are ready to assist the neighbouring country, as stability in Iraq serves Iran’s own interests,” the regional leader added.

He also highlighted the scale of bilateral trade, including gas and electricity supplies, which generate more than $15 billion in annual revenue.

By Jeyhun Aghazada