TEHRAN, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said on Monday that anti-Iran "terrorist groups" operating in Iraq's Kurdistan Region must be disarmed and relocated from the border area by the upcoming deadline of Sep. 19, stressing that the deadline would not be extended.
Kanaani made the comments during his regular press conference in Tehran, where he said Iran expects the Iraqi government to fully implement a security agreement signed with Iran in March that requires the disbanding of the separatist groups, according to the official news agency IRNA.
He said Iran is aware that the Iraqi government has communicated the contents of the agreement to the authorities in the Kurdistan Region, adding that "Iran is now awaiting the implementation of the agreement."
The Kurdistan Region, a semi-autonomous region in northern Iraq, hosts camps and bases operated by several Iranian Kurdish factions, which Iran designates as "separatist terrorists."
The spokesperson reiterated Iran's firm stance that the deadline will not be extended, noting that the Iraqi government, the Kurdistan Region, and the United Nations Special Representative in Iraq have all been informed of Iran's position.
Kanaani said Iran expects the Iraqi government to "duly execute" the agreement's provisions as Iran attaches "paramount significance" to safeguarding its national security.
He warned that if the terms of the agreement are not upheld, Iran will fulfill its responsibility of "preserving our nation's security."
A security agreement signed between Iran and Iraq in March requires the Iraqi government to disband the Iranian Kurdish factions and relocate them to an alternate camp. ■
