US plot to use Iraqi Kurdistan as launchpad foiled: Ghalibaf
Ghalibaf made the comments during a meeting with visiting Bafel Talabani, the head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), in Tehran on Tuesday, where he praised the resilience of the Iranian nation and armed forces in repelling the aggression launched by the US and Israel since February 28.
The speaker said Washington likely did not anticipate such fierce resistance or the scale of its military and political defeat.
“In the war started by the Americans, our great nation and armed forces showed how they can overcome the US and the Zionist regime,” Ghalibaf stated on Tuesday.
Addressing regional security, Ghalibaf said during the 40-day war, the United States sought to launch security and military operations against Iran from the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.
“However, with the help of your friends in the Region and the timely reaction of Iran’s armed forces, this enemy plot was defeated,” he told Talabani, emphasizing the need to expand economic, political, and security cooperation with neighboring countries to the highest levels.
Ghalibaf warned that despite their setbacks, Washington and Tel Aviv will continue their conspiracies.
He specifically noted that the US and Israel are actively trying to sow discord among neighbors, particularly between Iran and Iraq, not least now that they have been “forced to leave both the land and the skies of Iraq.”
“We must not allow such tensions through close communication and mutual trust, and we must be careful not to be influenced by the sinister actions of the US and the Zionist regime.”
Accordng to local Iranian media’s reports, Bafel Talabani, whose father, the late Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, was remembered by Ghalibaf as a “noble man” and a loyal, old friend of Iran, echoed the Iranian official’s sentiments regarding regional security and bilateral ties.
Talabani said the PUK has grown stronger and returned to the path led by his father. Expressing deep gratitude for Iran’s historical support during hard times, he said the struggles of Iran and Iraq are deeply intertwined.
“The Islamic Republic has always been our supporter and backer; therefore, we consider your war and hardships as our own, and your victory as our victory.”
The PUK leader said his party will not allow the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to be used as a base for insecurity against the Islamic Republic.
“We are fully prepared to implement the security agreement between the two countries of Iran and Iraq and to expand relations.”
The security agreement referenced by Talabani refers to a landmark pact signed between Tehran and Baghdad in 2023.
MNA