Iraq asks Iran to solve border disputes via diplomatic means

Iraq has called upon the Iranian government to solve all the border disputes through diplomatic means and to avoid the use of military force.

This was said in a statement of Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh after Iraq accused Iran of seizing control of a disputed oilfield along the border between the two countries.

According to Iraqi National news agency, in a statement after a meeting of Iraq’s national security council on Friday to discuss the issue, and government spokesman Dabbagh said that Iraq considers this penetration as a border breach and a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and this showed anew the need for clearly defined borders between Iraq and Iran.

He said the two countries have begun diplomatic talks.

According to reports Iraq’s deputy interior minister Ahmed Ali al-Khafaji said on Friday that eleven Iranian soldiers took control of a well at the Fauqa oilfield in Maysan province which is about 300km southeast of Baghdad.

There was no immediate comment on the alleged incident from Tehran.