Iran re-opened two crossings with Iraqi Kurdistan on Tuesday that it had closed after a referendum in favor of independence for the semi-autonomous region, The Jerusalim Post reports with a reference to Iran's ISNA news agency.
After the referendum in September 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered troops to take control of areas claimed by both Baghdad and the Kurdish government. Abadi wants to take control of the border crossings between the Kurdish region and Iran, Turkey and Syria, including one through which an oil export pipeline crosses into Turkey.
Iran, which has its own Kurdish minority, also opposed independence for Iraqi Kurds, and at the request of Baghdad closed its borders with the Kurdish region in northern Iraq and halted all flights there and back.
Iran re-opens border crossing with Iraqi Kurdistan region
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