The Iraqi National Security Advisory revealed on Wednesday that the document recently signed between Baghdad and Tehran during the visit of Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, was a previously prepared security memorandum of understanding (MoU) rather than a new security agreement.

In an official statement, the Advisory noted that Iraq had previously signed a security protocol with Iran on March 19, 2023, known as the Joint Security Agreement on Border Security and Measures to Neutralize Iranian Kurdish Opposition Groups in the Kurdistan Region.

The statement explained that the two countries later decided to convert this security protocol into a formal MoU, maintaining the same content regarding border security and security cooperation concerning the five main Iranian Kurdish opposition parties.

The MoU underwent extensive review, was presented to the Iraqi Council of Ministers, and was approved by the government. It was originally scheduled to be signed during the tenure of the former Iranian SNSC Secretary, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, but was ultimately finalized during the recent visit of his successor, Ali Larijani.

The Advisory emphasized that the security MoU signed with Larijani had been prepared before the Israeli attack on Iran and was signed once the visit materialized.

The document was officially signed two days ago by Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji and Larijani, under the supervision of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani.