Iranian, Iraqi military to conduct joint border drills

By Abdul Jabbar Abu Ras

TEHRAN

Iran and Iraq will conduct joint military drills “within days” in the border region, an Iranian official announced on Saturday.

Iranian commanders have agreed on holding military drills along the border regions, Gen. Masoud Jazayeri, spokesman for Iran’s armed forces, told Iranian official news agency IRNA.

His remarks came on the backdrop of an illegitimate referendum held on Sept. 25 by the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq on whether to secede.

Along with Baghdad, Turkey, the U.S., Iran, and the UN all spoke out against the illegitimate poll, warning it would distract from the ongoing fight against Daesh and further destabilize the region.

According to figures released by the KRG (of which Erbil serves as administrative capital), almost 93 percent of voters cast ballots in favor of independence from Baghdad.

The decision to hold joint drills was taken after an official request from Iraq’s federal government, according to Jazayeri.