Iran welcomes Iraq decision to redeploy border guards

Cross-border tensions

Iran reacted favourably on Monday to neighbouring Iraq's decision to redeploy federal guards along its border, after Iran launched missile and drone strikes against Kurdish-iranian groups' bases in northern Iraq. Since protests erupted in Iran more than two months ago, Iranian officials have accused exiled Iranian-kurdish opposition groups, and Western powers, of stoking the unrest and the country has repeatedly launched cross-border strikes. Last Wednesday the Iraqi government said it planned “to redeploy Iraqi border guards... along the border with Iran and Turkey”. Tehran had publicly urged such a move. “We welcome this decision,” Tehran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Nasser Kanani said on Monday.