TEHRAN – Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Mahjoub has said Baghdad had sent an official request to Ankara and Tehran urging them to close their borders with the Iraqi Kurdistan and limit the oil trade with the region, the Anadolu news agency reported on Saturday.

On September 25, the Iraqi Kurdistan held an independence referendum despite international calls to cancel the vote.

Iraqi authorities declared the referendum illegal, while Turkey and Iran criticized the referendum amid fears it might lead to chaos and instability in the region.

MH/PA