• Turkey won’t shy away from harshest response if border threatened: Yildirim

    Turkey won’t shy away from harshest response if border threatened: Yildirim

    Sep 28, 2017 20:38

    Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says his country’s military forces will not hesitate to give a stinging response to a national security threat on the border with Iraq in reaction to Monday’s referendum of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

  • Turkey agrees to ‘only deal with Baghdad’ over oil exports

    Turkey agrees to ‘only deal with Baghdad’ over oil exports

    Sep 28, 2017 14:19

    In a major U-turn, Turkey has agreed to solely deal with the central Iraqi government over crude oil exports, following a contentious secession referendum held by Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, the Baghdad government says.

  • Iraqi PM demands invalidation of Kurdish referendum

    Iraqi PM demands invalidation of Kurdish referendum

    Sep 27, 2017 17:54

    Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has demanded the annulment of this week’s referendum of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region amid soaring tensions between the central government in Baghdad and local Kurdish authorities.

  • Lebanon airline to halt Erbil flights

    Lebanon airline to halt Erbil flights

    Sep 27, 2017 15:26

    Lebanon says it plans to halt flights by its flagship carrier airline to Iran’s Kurdish region from Friday in a major sign that may show an international air traffic embargo called by Iraq against the region is already being put into place.

  • Russia, Iran, France warn Iraqi Kurds against repercussions of secession

    Russia, Iran, France warn Iraqi Kurds against repercussions of secession

    Sep 27, 2017 14:13

    Russia, Iran and France have warned that a controversial secession referendum held in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region could lead to further instability in the entire Middle East, a region already rife with numerous conflicts and terror threats.

  • Iraq's premier gives Kurdish officials 3 days to hand over control of airports

    Iraq's premier gives Kurdish officials 3 days to hand over control of airports

    Sep 27, 2017 05:56

    Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has given the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) three days to hand over control of its airports if it seeks to avoid an international air embargo, a retaliatory move the Iraqi government says will take against the independence-seeking region in the wake of a highly controversial referendum.

  • Iraqi parliament demands troops be deployed to areas disputed with Kurds

    Iraqi parliament demands troops be deployed to areas disputed with Kurds

    Sep 25, 2017 16:29

    Iraqi lawmakers have demanded deployment of government troops to areas disputed with Kurds amid rising tensions between the central government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government over a controversial independence referendum.

  • Iran, Russia presidents voice support for territorial integrity of Iraq

    Iran, Russia presidents voice support for territorial integrity of Iraq

    Sep 25, 2017 16:29

    The presidents of Iran and Russia have expressed their support for Iraq’s territorial integrity and national unity amid a highly controversial referendum on independence of the country’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

  • Leader’s aide warns of new US, Israeli plot to partition Iraq

    Leader’s aide warns of new US, Israeli plot to partition Iraq

    Sep 25, 2017 16:29

    A senior Iranian official says a highly controversial referendum of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region is a new US-Israeli plot in the Middle East to partition the country, warning that the Kurds will suffer as a result of the plan.

  • Kurdish independence vote lacking logic: Qassemi

    Kurdish independence vote lacking logic: Qassemi

    Sep 25, 2017 15:37

    Iran has once again reaffirmed its opposition to the Kurdish referendum in Iraq, underlining the need for maintaining the Arab country’s national sovereignty at a time that Baghdad is making great strides against terrorists.