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Secretary of Irans Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani (R) shakes hands with deputy secretary general of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Kosrat Rasul Ali, in Tehran on July 17, 2017. (Photo by IRNA)

A senior Iranian official has warned that a plan by Iraqs semi-autonomous Kurdistan region to hold an independence referendum will weaken the entire Arab country.

Secretary of Irans Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani made the comment in a meeting in Tehran on Monday with deputy secretary general of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Kosrat Rasul Ali, and the Chief of the Executive Body of the PUKs Political Bureau, Mala Bakhtiar.

Shamkhani said the independence plan would in fact put pressure on and isolateIraqi Kurds and weaken Kurdistan and eventuallyall of Iraq.

The Iranian official added that the plan wentagainstthe policies and initiatives of the Iraqi officials and wasnot a priority and requirement of the countrys people.

Shamkhani further noted that certain regional and extra-regional countries sought to undermine Iraq and big countries in the Middle East, stressing that such arrogant plots should be thwarted by remaining vigilant and paying attention to the interests of the nation and those of the Muslim world.

He said the Islamic Republic wishes security, economic development and prosperity for people, parties and groups in the north of Iraq whose realizationwould prevent the activities and spread of terrorist groups.

The president of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government, Masoud Barzani, announced on Twitter in June that the northern territory would hold an independence referendum on September 25 not only in the three provinces that make up the Kurdish region, but also in the areas that were bone of contention between the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and the central government in Baghdad.

After the announcement, the Iraqi government issued a statement in response that it would reject any unilateral move by Kurdish regional authorities to press for independence.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on June 13 that the Kurdish minority's decision to hold an independence referendum wasuntimely.

"Every part of Iraq has aspirations and has a dream, and we respect that, even if we disagree with it. We live in one homeland and they are our partners," Abadi said.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the SNSC secretary further pointed to the liberation of the Iraqi northern city of Mosul from the grip of Daesh Takfiri terrorist group and said it would herald a better future for an integrated Iraq and foil foreign plots aimed at creatinga divisionin the country.

A secure, stable and united Iraq promotes the countrys sustainable security, stability and progress and friendly countries to Iraq and its well-wishers must support such an approach, Shamkhani pointed out.

Delivering a formal statement aired by the state television on July 10, the Iraqi premier formally declared the victory of the countrys forces over the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in Mosul, one day after Iraqi military and Popular Mobilization Forces took full control of the city.

The recapture of Mosul marks the biggest blow to the Takfiri extremist group since it declared its so-called caliphate three years ago.

Iran avertedsecurity disaster in Kurdistan

Rasul Ali, for his part, said Iran hadalways played a leading role in supporting Kurdistan, particularly in countering Daesh terrorists, and prevented a security disaster in this region.

He said the Islamic Republic and the Kurdistan region haddeep-rooted and historical bonds.

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Kurdish independence plan will weaken Iraq: Iranian official - Press TV

Source: defense.gov

SOUTHWEST ASIA(ENEWSPF)July 17, 2017 U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 31 strikes consisting of 51 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of yesterdays strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 22 strikes consisting of 34 engagements against ISIS targets:

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted nine strikes consisting of 17 engagements against ISIS targets:

July 15 Strikes

Additionally, 14 strikes were conducted in Syria and Iraq on July 15 that closed within the last 24 hours:

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

These strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The destruction of ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria also further limits the groups ability to project terror and conduct external operations throughout the region and the rest of the world, task force officials said.

The list above contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft; rocket-propelled artillery; and some ground-based tactical artillery when fired on planned targets, officials noted.

Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike, they added. A strike, as defined by the coalition, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single or cumulative effect.

For example, task force officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined, officials said.

The task force does not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

Source: http://defense.gov

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U.S., Coalition Continue Strikes to Defeat ISIS in Syria, Iraq, July 17 ... - eNews Park Forest

Cairo - Egypt's military says its jet-fighters have destroyed 15 all-terrain vehicles carrying weapons and explosives along with "criminal elements" after they were detected getting ready to cross the Libyan border into Egypt.

A military statement on Sunday said warplanes monitored and "dealt" with the vehicles over the past 24 hours, but it did not say whether the airstrikes targeted them while on Egyptian soil. It also did not mention Libya by name.

Egypt's porous desert border with Libya has been the source of serious concern to authorities, who contend Islamic militants and smugglers use it as their route into Egypt.

It said militants who attacked Christians in a series of suicide bombings in recent months were trained and sponsored by extremists in Libya, where chaos has prevailed since a 2011 uprising.

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Egypt says it destroyed 15 arms-laden SUVs from Libya - News24

U.S. News & World Report

Migrant crisis: EU limits sale of inflatable boats to Libya Sacramento Bee The European Union is allowing members to restrict sales of inflatable boats and outboard motors to Libya in an effort to stop dangerous migrant smuggling across the Mediterranean. EU foreign ministers agreed Monday to allow member countries to ban ... Belgium Should Take Frigate Out of Migration Mission off Libya: MinisterU.S. News & World Report all 51 news articles »

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Migrant crisis: EU limits sale of inflatable boats to Libya - Sacramento Bee

On July 17, 2017, the Prime Minister of Libyas Government of National Accord (NGA) Fayez al-Sarraj announced that the country is close to reaching crude oil production of 1 million barrels per day.

Prime Minister al-Sarraj is certain that this achievement is proof of the current governments ability to steer Libya out of a period of civil strife and into a new prosperous chapter in the countrys history. When NGAs first meeting occurred in January 2016, Libya produced a meager 300,000 barrels per day.

Before civil war broke out in Libya in 2011, the country produced 1.6 million bpd. Its proximity to Europe and a relatively cheap cost of producing a single barrel of crude oil (as little as $1/barrel at some fields) made Libya a no-brainer for many consumers on the other side of the Mediterranean. However, as infighting engulfed the country, that production level shrunk more than fivefold.

While Libyas closest frenemies within OPEC reduced their oil output to stabilize the market, the North African country could be in a prime position to snag some market share. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait are cutting their production, and Iran is taking longer than it would want to elevate output back to its pre-sanctions level.

At the same time, Libya is completely exempt from the need to reduce crude production, which has declined dramatically long before OPEC agreed on their cuts. With things as they are currently in the global oil market, it couldnt be a better time for Libya to restore its former status as a major oil supplier.

Libya is looking to reach the 1-million-bpd mark by the end of July and 1.32 million barrels per day by the end of the year, which is possible keeping in mind the progress that Libya has made so far.

Of course, all is easier said than done, as Libyas astonishing progress cant escape the eyes of Saudi Arabia and its allies. With oil prices having a hard time keeping at $50 per barrel, even with global producers efforts to reduce the oversupply, OPEC is carefully rethinking its stance on Libya and Nigeria (another exempt producer). The cartel is reviewing the possibility of placing a cap over these countries oil production before they simply outdo the work of other members.

OPECs decision has yet to be made, but there is no doubt that it will shape the oil market for the next several months.

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A Blessing or a Curse: Libya within Striking Distance of 1 Million Bpd - Economic Calendar