Barzani a better choice of mediator in US-Iran spat: pundit

Nechirvan Barzani, the Kurdistan Region’s newly elected president, could play the role of mediator in the ongoing tensions between Iran and the US, Sadegh Zibakalam, a lecturer in political science at the University of Tehran, told Rudaw.

Zibakalam, a media pundit and reformist, said the Kurdistan Region is not as divided on Iran as officials appear to be in Baghdad, making Erbil a more reliable mediator. 

The Bradford graduate and bestselling author also believes Barzani could mediate between Tehran and Iran’s Kurds, who are denied cultural and political rights.

Tehran fears calls for independence among its Kurdish population, but would only submit to allowing greater freedoms for Kurds within the framework of the Islamic Republic, Zibakalam said.

Relations between Iran and the Kurdistan Region have room to improve during Barzani’s four-year term, he said, particularly the potential for Iranian investment in the Region’s oil and gas fields.

The strength of these relations depends on Erbil’s willingness to stop Kurdish armed groups using its territory to launch attacks on Iran, he added.

Zibakalam is an outspoken critic of Iran’s hardliners who was sentenced to 18 months in prison in March 2018 for spreading “anti-state propaganda”. The sentence was later reduced to a fine.

Interview by Fuad Rahim

Rudaw: Where does Kurdistan Region feature in Iran’s foreign and economic policies?

  The closer the Kurdistan Region gets to independence, the more Iran gets upset  

Sadegh Zibakalam: This is a difficult question. Iran has continuously had good relations with Iraqi Kurds before the revolution, during the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and afterwards. In general, relations between Iranian government and Iraqi Kurds have been good. These relations have been closer with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) than with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). However, Iran doesn’t welcome the construction of the Kurdistan Region as much. The closer the Kurdistan Region gets to independence, the more Iran gets upset.

Why do you think they are concerned about the Kurdistan Region getting independence?

Because they think the establishment of an independent Kurdish state will encourage Iranian Kurds to seek such things. In other words, they see it as something that will make Iranian Kurds ask for more. For example, if their current request is to have their kids studying in Kurdish in Mahabad, Sanandij, Bukan, or Saqqez, they will seek more when they realize they can also form a regional independent Kurdish government or parliament. Then they might also ask for a Kurdish governor or mayor. That is how they see Iranian Kurds reacting if an independent Kurdish state breaks away from Iraq. That is why Iran is concerned about your independence advancing or getting serious. They think it will influence Iranian Kurds.

How are current relations between Iran and Kurdistan Region?

Other than this, they are very good. Iran can have economic, agricultural and industrial activities in the Kurdistan Region. There are abundant gas resources in the Erbil area. Iran can invest in these gas resources. Iran has a century of experience in the oil industry. It has been one century Iranian engineers have been familiar with oil and gas. In addition to investment, Iranian companies and engineers can come here to work on these gas resources. Moreover, from a political perspective, the Kurdistan Region can become a medium of communication between Iran and the United States given the fact that relations between these two counties are bad and murky.

How can relations between Iran and Kurdistan Region be developed under the presidency of Nechirvan Barzani?

Generally, Iran has a positive opinion of Nechirvan Barzani. The Iranian government and officials see Barzani as an experienced and competent person in international relations. They respect him. Barzani is a mature and sensible person. He is not the kind of person to engage in revolutionary rhetoric without calculations. In light of all of this, I see relations between Iran and Kurdistan Region being good and positive in the next four years. During these four years Barzani is president of the Kurdistan Region, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) can play a second role too, aside from relations between Erbil and Tehran. It can be a medium for communication between Tehran and Washington because Tehran has big confidence in Barzani and the KRG and the US has good relations with Barzani and the Kurdistan Region too.

Iraq has also offered to become a mediator between Iran and the US. Do you think these mediations will be stronger and more reliable if led by Nechirvan Barzani?

I believe they can be stronger because the Kurdistan Region is united, but Baghdad is not. There are some Iraqi Shiite authorities who don’t see Iran very positively. They want to be independent from Iran. In the past, they had good relations with Iran. But their relations with Iran haven’t recently been very close or friendly. This is not the case with the Kurdistan Region where the KDP and Barzani have had very close relations with Iran. The PUK has had good relations with Iran too. Many Iraqi Kurds have a very positive opinion of Iran. They are not hostile to Iran. There is more trust in Kurdistan Region than Iraq because parties in the Region are united in terms of their political precedent. That is why I think the Kurdistan Region has a better chance in the long run. In addition to this, the US too has more trust in the Region’s authorities and political parties than in Iraqis. That is why I think the Kurdistan Region has a very good chance of playing the role of mediator between Tehran and Washington.

What are the areas Erbil and Tehran can work on to develop bilateral relations?

His Excellency Barzani and authorities in the Kurdistan Region can play a very important role in this matter by [warding off] the fears and concerns Tehran has about independence of Kurdistan Region from Baghdad and encouraging our Kurdish populations. I think Barzani and leaders of the Kurdistan Region can reassure Iran not to be concerned, that they don’t want to encourage Iranian Kurds to seek independence, they don’t want their territory to be used by Iranian Kurds to set up headquarters, and that they don’t want to meddle in affairs between Iran and Iranian Kurds. This way, the Kurdistan Region can reassure Iran and build mutual trust.

Do you think the time has come for an opening toward the Kurdish question in Iran under the presidency of Nechirvan Barzani?

Yes. I think this is a very important question. Leaders of the Kurdistan Region especially Nechirvan Barzani can play this role very well. They can mediate between Iranian Kurds and the Islamic Republic. That is, the Kurdistan Region can bring these two parties closer together through mutual understanding and dialogue, paving the way for some privileges to be given to Iranian Kurds in the government in Tehran. In return, a guarantee can be taken from Iranian Kurds to stay within the framework of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The question is that they want to have some rights. I think this is a very important role which Barzani can take during these four years.

Do you think Iran will be interested in this?

I think moderates and reformists have reached a conclusion that it is impractical to sideline the demands Iranian Kurds have, and ask them to take part in elections every four years. Some of their demands are impossible, while some possible such as studying in the Kurdish language.