Ghalibaf says US plot to use Iraqi Kurdistan as launchpad was foiled

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Tuesday that the United States sought to conduct security and military operations against Iran from the Iraqi Kurdistan Region during a 40-day war, but the plan was defeated with the help of regional friends and a timely response by Iran's armed forces. He made the remarks during a meeting in Tehran with Bafel Talabani, head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

Ghalibaf praised what he described as the resilience of the Iranian nation and armed forces in repelling an aggression launched by the United States and Israel since February 28. He said Washington likely did not anticipate such resistance or the scale of its military and political defeat. "In the war started by the Americans, our great nation and armed forces showed how they can overcome the US and the Zionist regime," Ghalibaf said.

Addressing regional security, Ghalibaf told Talabani that the enemy plot to use Iraqi Kurdistan as a launchpad was defeated, and stressed the need to expand economic, political, and security cooperation with neighboring countries to the highest levels. He warned that despite their setbacks, Washington and Tel Aviv will continue their conspiracies, and said they are actively trying to sow discord among neighbors, particularly between Iran and Iraq, especially now that they have been "forced to leave both the land and the skies of Iraq." He added that close communication and mutual trust are necessary to prevent such tensions and to avoid being influenced by what he called the sinister actions of the US and the Zionist regime.

According to local Iranian media reports, Bafel Talabani echoed Ghalibaf's sentiments on regional security and bilateral ties. Ghalibaf remembered Talabani's father, the late Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, as a "noble man" and a loyal, old friend of Iran. Talabani said the PUK has grown stronger and returned to the path led by his father. Expressing deep gratitude for Iran's historical support during hard times, he said the struggles of Iran and Iraq are deeply intertwined. "The Islamic Republic has always been our supporter and backer; therefore, we consider your war and hardships as our own, and your victory as our victory," Talabani said.

The PUK leader said his party will not allow the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to be used as a base for insecurity against the Islamic Republic. "We are fully prepared to implement the security agreement between the two countries of Iran and Iraq and to expand relations," he said. The security agreement referenced by Talabani refers to a landmark pact signed between Tehran and Baghdad in 2023. The report by Mehr News added that the meeting took place in Tehran on Tuesday.