TEHRAN - Tehran has rejected claims that Iranian troops recently crossed Iraq’s border illegally and attacked residential areas.

Certain Arab countries and media outlets, including Al Arabiya, have claimed that Iranian troops have made incursion into Iraq’s Kurdistan region and killed a number of civilians.
Such claims are meant to undermine the amicable relations between Tehran and Baghdad and to cover up those Arab states’ interference in Iraq’s internal affairs, Iran’s ambassador to Iraq told the Mehr News Agency.
These countries fear that Iran and Iraq, as two Muslim neighbors which share many commonalities, form a strong alliance and along with other countries play an important role in regional and international issues, Ambassador Hassan Kazemi Qomi said.
He added that these countries cannot tolerate the fact that the elected government and democracy in Iraq are strongly supported by Tehran.
These countries are desperately seeking to show that Iran interferes in Iraq’s internal affairs in order to distract the world’s attention from their interference in Iraq’s affairs, the diplomat noted.
He went on to say that the main reason behind tension in Iran’s northwestern borders with Iraq, especially in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, is due to the presence of terrorist groups like PJAK guerillas.
Maintaining security along the Iran-Iraq borders is the responsibility of both countries, he said, adding that Iran is strictly controlling the security of borders.
“Fortunately, there is cooperation and collaboration between Iran and Iraq,” Qomi stated.
On Iraq’s election, he said, “We must respect democracy and Iraqi people’s votes.”
However, he said the Iraqi election and the formation of a new government is an Iraqi issue which others have no right to interfere.
He also said the claims that the list of candidates and factions in Iraq are determined based on Iran’s view, are an insult to the people and officials of Iraq