Iraq and Iran repeated the need to tighten border controls as anti-government demonstrations rage across several Iranian cities.
In a phone call on Tuesday, Iraq's National Security Adviser, Qassim Al Araji, discussed with Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, the “developments in the region”, according to a statement.
The two sides stressed the “need to tighten control over the shared border and enhance joint co-ordination and co-operation to prevent terrorist groups from infiltrating between the two countries", the statement added.
The statement gave no further details on the discussions. However, Iran has long expressed concern over Kurdish separatist opposition groups whose armed factions operate from Iraq's Kurdistan region. It has accused these groups of inciting violence during the current demonstrations.
The two countries signed a security agreement in March 2023, pledging to improve security co-operation, prevent cross-border attacks and strengthen joint efforts against terrorism.
The agreement has become a cornerstone of Iraq's efforts to balance its relationships with regional powers, despite US concerns about Iran's growing influence. Iraq has reaffirmed its commitment to the pact due to sovereignty and national interests.
The headquarters of Turkey’s Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, and the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran, KDPI, are in Iraq's Kurdistan region.
Iran and Turkey accuse the groups of activities in Iraqi territory to destabilise their security by either launching attacks or fuelling unrest.
Authorities in Iran have been confronting nationwide unrest, as protests over economic hardship have evolved into the largest anti-government demonstrations in years.
Iran’s leadership faces mounting pressure from both a population frustrated with soaring inflation, unemployment and currency devaluation, and a US administration threatening to take military action in response to an increasingly heavy-handed crackdown on demonstrators.
More than 2,500 people have been killed in Iran since the protests broke out on December 28, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency's latest figures.
While the ruling regime insisted on Monday that “the situation has come under total control”, prolonged internet blackouts have left Iranians abroad cut off from their families and have provided little clarity on whether authorities in Tehran have quelled the violence.
