ERBIL, Kurdistan Region— Kurdish intentions to hold a referendum on independence in Iraq has not provoked strong reactions in neighboring Iran which has largely accepted the Kurdistan Region and its semi-independent institutions in northern Iraq as “status quo,” according to the senior Kurdish diplomat Nazim Dabagh. Speaking to Rudaw TV Tuesday, Dabagh also said that Tehran urged the rivalling parties in Kirkuk to solve the issue of hoisting Kurdistani flag in the province through “the constitution and dialogue.” “Unlike the Turkish threats, the Islamic Republic of Iran candidly asked the parties to solve the flag issue through dialogue and the Iraqi constitution,” said Dabagh who is also the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) representative in Tehran. Kirkuk Governor Najmadin Karim’s decision to fly the Kurdistani flag at government offices in Kirkuk drew sharp criticism from Ankara with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressing that the the decision could impact the existing Kurdish-Turkish relations. According to Dabagh Iranian strongman Qasim Soleimani, who is also the commander of the elite Quds force, has met with officials both in Erbil and Sulaimani on Sunday, without giving further details about the meetings. Soleimani who is widely believed to have played pivotal and direct role in establishing the Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi and pushing back ISIS militants in several areas across Iraq, has often been seen as the envoy of the Iranian supreme leader in Iraq. Relations between Erbil and Tehran have remained strained after last years’ deadly clashes between Iranian Kurdish opposition troops and the government backed Pasdaran forces near the Kurdistan Region’s borders. The Islamic Republic has accused Saudi Arabia of backing Iranian Kurdish groups based inside the Kurdistan Region, a claim rejected by Kurdish officials in Erbil. A senior Kurdish official, Mahmoud Muhammd, confirmed to Rudaw last week that the Kurdish President Massoud Barzani’s official visit to Tehran was postponed following Iranian reluctance to hoist the Kurdistani flag, adding to the row between the two countries. Muhammad also said that contrary to previous agreements, Tehran had cancelled a meeting between Barzani and the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as part of the Kurdish president’s planned visit to the Islamic Republic. “To my knowledge, the Islamic Republic has always been keen to welcome President Barzani as the head of the Kurdistan Region and a prominent figure in the politics of the Middle East,” Dabagh said. “As far as I know President Barzani has also always accepted invitations to visit the Islamic Republic and has said that he will make the trip at a convenient time for both countries and when it is arranged,” he added.
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