Iraq-Iran Border Security MoU Misreported as Formal Agreement

In the early hours of Thursday, Iraq’s National Security Council issued a statement rejecting reports by some media outlets and political programs that a “security agreement” had been signed between Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The council clarified that what was signed between the two countries was a “security memorandum of understanding,” not a security agreement.

According to Saed News citing ISNA, the statement noted that “Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Iran signed a security record on March 19, 2023, focused on border security and measures related to neutralizing activities of Iranian Kurdish opponents residing in the Kurdistan Region.”

The statement emphasized that this security record, after coordination, was converted into a security memorandum of understanding with the same content and approved by Iraq’s Council of Ministers, and its signing was scheduled to coincide with the visit of an Iranian official.

The National Security Council added that before Ali Larijani was appointed Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Dr. Ahmadian was supposed to conduct the visit. However, following Larijani’s appointment, he signed the memorandum of understanding during his visit to Baghdad in the presence of the Iraqi Prime Minister.

The statement noted that the security MoU had been prepared prior to Israel’s attack on Iran and was formally signed after completing the legal procedures, coinciding with the official visit.

Iraq’s National Security Council stressed that no formal security agreement was signed between Baghdad and Tehran, and what was signed is a security memorandum of understanding.

In conclusion, the council urged all media outlets to exercise caution in reporting and to refer to official sources.