President Nechirvan Barzani expresses his condolences to the victims of the ISIS attack in Iran

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Monday visited the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Erbil to pay his respects to the victims of a recent ISIS attack in Kerman, Iran, which killed at least 91 people.

“Today, we visited the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran to extend our heartfelt sympathies to the victims of the tragic terrorist attack in Kerman, which claimed the lives of numerous innocent individuals,” he told reporters at the event.

“It is with great sorrow that we convey the condolences of the Kurdistan Region to Iran as a whole, and specifically to the people of Kerman. The persistent threat posed by the terrorist organization ISIS in our region remains a grave concern. We firmly believe that it is imperative for us to maintain our collaborative efforts and stand united in our mission to eradicate these terrorists”

Moreover, he noted that during the emergence of ISIS in 2014, Iran extended assistance to both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. “We reiterate our gratitude and appreciation for their unwavering support to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.”

Furthermore, he underlined the importance of Iran as a neighbouring country. “We hope that our relations will continue to improve.”

“We have consistently emphasized in the past, and we reiterate our stance now, that the Kurdistan Region poses no threat to its neighboring countries, particularly the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran expressed his appreciation for President Nechirvan Barzani’s visit.

Iraq and Iran in March last year signed a security agreement to move away Iranian Kurdish opposition groups from the border. Kurdish officials have underlined their commitment to the implementation of the agreement.

Read More: KRG, Iran discuss security agreement

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)’s Minister of Interior Reber Ahmed and Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Dec. 14 met on the sidelines of the Global Refugee Forum 2023 in Geneva, and underlined that they “explore[d] avenues for further cooperation and the successful implementation of the Security Agreement…”

Tehran and Ankara have previously bombarded and launched military operations against Kurdish militant groups based in Iraq.