Iran, Iraq plan joint drills over Kurdish independence vote

TEHRAN, Sept. 30 - Iran will hold a joint military exercise with Iraq in response to the Iraqi Kurdistan region's "illegitimate" independence referendum, an Iranian military official announced on Saturday.

Iran, which borders Iraq and the autonomous Kurdish region, strongly opposed the vote held Monday, fearing it would provoke separatists among its own Kurdish population.

Iraq's central government has demanded the annulment of the referendum, which resulted in a huge "yes" for independence.

"A joint military exercise between Iran's armed forces and units from the Iraqi army will be held in the coming days along the shared border," Iranian Armed Forces spokesman Masoud Jazayeri told reporters.

The drills will take place at several crossings on Iran's border with Iraqi Kurdistan, he said, speaking after a high-level meeting of Iranian commanders.

Tehran has accepted a request by Baghdad for an Iraqi army presence at border crossings.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)