Iran withdraws from border demarcation negotiations with Iraq and swallows up 2 square kilometers

[size=52]Iran withdraws from border demarcation negotiations with Iraq and swallows up 2 square kilometers[/size]

[size=45]The Iraqi-Iranian meetings regarding the demarcation of the water borders between the two countries were characterized by some tension after Tehran ignored the Iraqi government's repeated demands that some of the provisions of the Algiers Agreement that were concluded in 1975 should be amended.[/size]
[size=45]Tehran was accused by officials in Baghdad of deliberately pursuing a certain water policy, during which it managed to deduct more than 2 kilometers from the Shatt al-Arab, including the port of Amaya, and several oil installations and annex them to Iranian lands.[/size]
[size=45]In the face of this dangerous escalation, the Iraqi government stands a shy position in which it cannot confront these changes and abuses and solve them by peaceful means through negotiations, not even resorting to the United Nations, whose regulations and laws require the approval of both sides.[/size]
[size=45]Despite all this, Iran suspended its negotiations with the Iraqi side regarding the partial aim of making amendments to the terms of the Algiers Agreement.[/size]
[size=45]The Sirwan River is threatened with drought[/size]
[size=45]Aoun Diab, advisor to the Ministry of Water Resources, said in a statement to (Al-Mada) that “our water storage in our dams and reservoirs on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers is good that qualifies us to secure our needs in the coming summer and until the beginning of next winter.” However, we are concerned about the issue of the Diyala River, which It is fed from the Darbandikhan and Hamrin dams that feed from the Sirwan River coming from Iran.[/size]
[size=45]He continues, "The quantities of water coming from the estuary are very small (the Sirwan River), in addition to the scarcity of rain falling in the Diyala governorate basin, and it is almost limited," pointing out that "these problems and reasons raise our concern in securing the Diyala River's water."[/size]
[size=45]Less than a week ago, the Ministry of Water Resources noticed a very large decrease in the release of water from the Sirwan River from 47 cubic meters per second to seven cubic meters per second, which makes it threatened by drought during the coming summer season.[/size]
[size=45]The Sirwan River originates from inside the Iranian territory with a length of (445 km), then it enters the Sulaymaniyah Governorate to Diyala Governorate, and two large dams have been built on it, the first is the Darbandikhan Dam in the Sulaymaniyah Governorate and the second is the Hamrin Dam in Diyala Governorate.[/size]
[size=45]Iran rejects dialogue[/size]
[size=45]The ongoing negotiations between the Iraqi government and the Islamic Republic have stalled over the violations of Iraq's water quota, as well as over the demarcation of the water and land borders and the possibility of solving their problems since previous years.[/size]
[size=45]The advisor to the Ministry of Water Resources comments on the stumbling of these negotiations, saying, "The negotiations between the two sides are almost stalled due to the 1975 agreement, which the Iranian side insists on abiding by its provisions, while the Iraqi government believes that it is an agreement signed during the time of the former regime, and therefore not ratified."[/size]
[size=45]Iraq and Iran concluded a peace agreement in Algeria in 1975 that stipulated the settlement of the border dispute between the two countries over the Shatt al-Arab and other border areas, and for the first time Iraq relinquished its rights in previous treaties to sovereignty over the waterway and adopted the Taluk line as a basis for demarcating the borders in the Shatt al-Arab.[/size]
[size=45]The government advisor points out that “implementing the terms of the Algiers Agreement is difficult and canceling it is also difficult, but what matters to us at the present time is to enter into negotiations with the Iranians to settle disputes over border rivers shared with them,” noting that “the agreement contains an annex protocol related to the existence of these border rivers. “.[/size]
[size=45]Aoun Diab describes the Iraqi moves to address this problem with the Iranians as "inactive," explaining that "the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the party concerned with resolving (the demarcation of the land borders) on this issue and agreeing to overcome all these common border problems and disputes."[/size]
[size=45]And he notes that "the land borders are drawn except for differences on some points that can be addressed (there are pillars installed between them, undulating areas that need subsidiary pillars), indicating that the problem of demarcating the water borders is the main and outstanding problem between the Iraqi and Iranian side, specifically the Shatt al-Arab border.[/size]
[size=45]Taluk font change[/size]
[size=45]The issue of delineating the water borders between Iraq and Iran in the Shatt al-Arab was a source of tension between the two countries, which in 1980 led to the declaration of war between them that lasted for eight years, after the agreement was canceled by the Iraqi government at the time.[/size]
[size=45]Diab talks about these problems and disagreements, saying that "the problem revolves around the Shatt al-Arab and in the mouth of the Gulf (the area that extends into the Gulf)," stressing that "the governmental committee did not reach an agreement on resolving these pending articles with the Iranians."[/size]
[size=45]He continues, "The Taluk Line, which is the deep point in the Shatt al-Arab, which is the dividing point with Iran (according to the Algiers Agreement), began to change (it withdrew and crawled towards Iraqi lands) due to the sediments carried by the Karun River."[/size]
[size=45]He explains that "what we are calling for now is to amend some paragraphs of the Algiers agreement with Iran," noting that "after signing this agreement, many things have changed.[/size]
[size=45]Iran's refusal to amend the Algiers Agreement[/size]
[size=45]For his part, a source familiar with the details of the negotiations or the meetings that took place between the Iraqi and Iranian delegations clarifies that “the Iraqi government is calling for an amendment to the Algiers agreement signed with Iran, as it caused great harm to Iraq,” noting that “the government is afraid of a public reaction if this agreement is recognized in Under these circumstances ”.[/size]
[size=45]The source, who refused to reveal his identity due to the sensitivity of the situation, stated in a statement to (Al-Mada) that “the problem of the agreement lies in the Shatt al-Arab crater inside the Gulf, which usually has a winding movement (turns right or left), which caused the Shatt al-Arab water path to be pushed by about (2) Kilometers inside Iraqi territory, ”he said, adding that the Iranians consider these changes to be normal, based on the Algiers Agreement.[/size]
[size=45]The informed source confirms that “after these natural changes in the Shatt al-Arab route, the Iraqi port of Al-Amaya became attached to Iran after the withdrawal or pushing of the Taluk line on Iraqi lands,” stressing that the current point of contention between the Iraqis and the Iranians is that these changes in Taluk are normal or not. Natural.[/size]
[size=45]The Shatt al-Arab is formed from the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers at the Qurna area and then flows into the Gulf, and its length is 204 km, and its width varies at the mouth of more than two kilometers, and its width at the city of Basra reaches about one kilometer.[/size]
[size=45]The historical treaties that Iraq inherited from the Ottoman Empire granted him the right to sovereignty over this waterway except for specific areas in front of Muhammarah and Abadan.[/size]
[size=45]Changes are not normal[/size]
[size=45]He believes that "these changes are not natural because the Iranians deliberately cut the rivers of Karkh and Karun and cut off most of the tributaries that flow into the Shatt al-Arab, which affected the water level, which affected or caused the change of the Taluk line and pushed it towards Iraqi lands."[/size]
[size=45]He added that "the amendment or cancellation of this agreement approved by the United Nations requires the approval of the Iraqi and Iranian sides," adding that "the current talks are nothing more than separate meetings that did not rise to the level of dialogues and negotiations."[/size]
[size=45]He continues, "These changes have caused our loss of many oil installations (oil platforms for the transport of oil), including the port of Al-Amaya," stressing that "this port and the pipeline for transporting oil has become in Iranian territory because of these changes."[/size]
[size=45]The Iranian ambassador in Baghdad demanded from the Iraqi government in 2009 that the port of “Khor Al-Amaya” oil should not be used, as it is part of Iranian territory.[/size]
[size=45]The source quotes from one of the previous meetings with the Iranians in Tehran that the Iranian committee withdrew from the meeting after the Iraqi delegation demanded to amend the Algiers Agreement.[/size]
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