Iran's threat to close Kurdish border a major blow to Armenia's exports

PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran will shut all border crossings with the Kurdistan Region if the region secedes from Iraq, a top Iranian national security official said on Sunday, September 17, according to NRT.

The decision may be a major blow to Armenia as the country exports a great amount of products, including tobacco and alcohol to Iraqi Kurdistan via Iran.

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani warned Iran would end all agreements with the Kurdish region if it held the referendum on September 25.

Shamkhani added border agreements are in place only with the Iraqi government and the separation of the Kurdistan Region from Iraq will result in the closure of all of Iran’s border crossings with the region.

“Iran definitely recognizes only the united, integrated and federal government of Iraq,” Shamkhani said. “Any disruption to this strategic principle will lead to a serious reconsideration and change of the ongoing cooperation between Iran and the Kurdistan region.”

Kurds set to hold the referendum on September 25 but Baghdad opposes it, with lawmakers voting to reject it. Iraq's neighbors, Turkey, Iran and Syria, also oppose the referendum, fearing it could fan separatism among their own ethnic Kurdish populations.