Iran, Syria, Iraq to block US influence in Kurdish regions: Iranian Official

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Iran keeps a close watch on Washington’s political and military actions in the Middle East, and will act to diminish its influence in Kurdish regions, said an Iranian official on Friday.

The remarks of Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were made during a meeting in Baghdad with Iraq's Foreign Minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari.

“The continued cooperation between Iran, Iraq, and Syria will not allow Americans to sway the areas inhabited by Kurds,” Velayati said.

He mentioned US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s ongoing tour in the Middle East, stating it follows Washington’s policy failure against Islamic countries in the region.

Jaafari highlighted the support of Iran to the Iraqi government, noting that Iran played a key role in supporting the resistance against the Islamic State (IS) throughout the region.

Iraq's government has repeatedly been criticized due to a widely-held percemption of it being under the influence of Iran.

In the past, Kurdish officials have repeatedly called on Tehran to cease interference in the internal affairs of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.

Kurds in the Kurdistan Region and Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) have been one of the staunchest allies of the US in the region, especially after the 2014 emergence of IS in Iraq and Syria.

Editing by John J. Catherine