TEHRAN, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Iran's foreign minister on Monday called for talks between the Iraqi government and the Kurdish authorities to settle their disputes politically, Pres TV reported.
"The referendum in Kurdistan was against the Iraqi constitution, which does not help the people of Kurdistan, and is not justifiable for Iraq's security," Mohammad Javad Zarif said.
The results of Kurdish independence vote showed that the referendum would have "a lot of risks for the security of Iraq and the region," he was quoted as saying.
Tensions have been running high between Iraqi government and the Kurdish region after the region held a controversial referendum on independence of Kurdistan and disputed areas, including Kirkuk.
The independence referendum was opposed by many countries because it would threaten the integrity of Iraq and it could undermine fight against Islamic State militants.
In addition, neighboring countries such as Turkey, Iran and Syria see that such a step would threaten their territorial integrity, as larger populations of Kurds live in those countries.
