The Autonomous Government of Iraqi Kurdistan Summons Iranian Consul

On Tuesday, July 3, the Autonomous Government of Iraqi Kurdistan condemned the shelling of parts of its territory by the military forces of the Islamic Republic and announced the summoning of the Iranian consul in Erbil. In a statement released by this government and reported by the news site "Rudaw", it was stated that during the shelling on Monday, three people were injured and three villages were evacuated. The statement emphasized: "It is now time to adhere to the principle of good neighborliness and refrain from interfering in each other's internal affairs. We are not on either side in the problems between the Islamic Republic of Iran and its opposing groups." The statement further adds: "While condemning this shelling, the Kurdistan Regional Government also calls on the Islamic Republic of Iran to stop attacking civilians and the territory of Kurdistan." According to the political organization of this region, the citizens of Kurdistan are victims of attacks by villagers and tribes. The "Rudaw" site adds that residents of the villages of Gundajur, Shuraw, and Galajer were forced to leave their homes following the shelling by Iran. The Autonomous Government of Iraqi Kurdistan also announced in its statement the summoning of the Iranian consul in the region "to express its protest" to Tehran. The report indicates that during the shelling on Monday, an ordinary citizen and two Peshmerga opposed to the Islamic Republic were injured in the Balakayati area of the city of Choman in Iraqi Kurdistan. This shelling targeted an area that, according to the "Rudaw" site, is the base of armed groups opposed to Iran, including the Democratic Party of Kurdistan, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, and the Komala Party. The shelling of these areas occurred about two weeks after clashes between the Komala forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. This party had announced that on the second of Tir (June 22), three of its forces and several members of the IRGC were killed in this clash. In previous years, Iran has also shelled areas of Iraqi Kurdistan under the pretext of the presence of opposition forces and their operations. Despite repeated protests from the government of this region, the shelling by Iran has not stopped. Hassan Sharifi, spokesperson and deputy secretary-general of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, in an interview with Radio Farda in response to the question of why Iran is shelling certain border areas of Iraqi Kurdistan, said: "Our forces have in no way engaged in any provocative activities in that area that the Islamic Republic could use as an excuse to shell. However, there may be another reason. The Kurdistan Region wants to hold a referendum to declare its independence, which is concerning for the Islamic Republic of Iran, and has shown great sensitivity to it, even from high-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic." This Kurdish activist refers to Masoud Barzani's plan, the leader of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, who has stated that he wants to hold a referendum on September 25 to declare the independence of this region from Iraq. Iran, Iraq, and Turkey have strongly opposed this referendum.