The government of Iran has banned the transportation of oil products to or from the Kurdistan Region in Iraq over the semi-autonomous government’s independence referendum, according to Iranian media reports.
Tasnim news agency reported on Friday that Iran’s transportation organization imposed the blockade, temporarily banning the transport of oil products “from Iran to Iraq’s Kurdistan region and vice versa following the latest developments in that region.”
The Kurdistan Regional Government held a non-binding independence referendum on Monday, with more than 92 percent of voters supporting secession from Iraq. In response, Iraq, Iran and Turkey have imposed a series of restrictions on Kurdistan, including halting flights to the region.
On Thursday, Iranian First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri said Tehran was continung to support Baghdad in the dispute, and that consulations so far had been useful.
“We should not allow the international boundaries to be distorted and we should fully support the territorial integrities of Iraq and Syria,” he said.