Disputed oil well
Photo: Reuters
Iraq says Iran troops have made partial withdrawal
Iraqi government spokesman says small group of Iranian troops who seized oil well in remote area on border last week no longer in control of well
Iraq said on Sunday Iranian troops had withdrawn partially from a disputed oil well claimed by both Tehran and Baghdad.
Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said a small group of Iranian troops who seized the oil well in a remote area along the two countries' border last week were no longer in control of the well, which Iraq considers part of its Fakka oilfield.
"The Iranian flag has been lowered. The Iranian troops have pulled back 50 meters, but they have not gone back to where they were before," said Dabbagh.
"The Iraqi government has asked for the troops to go back to where they were," he said.
Dabbagh said a joint Iraq-Iran committee would begin to look at demarcation of the border.
In Tehran, official Iranian media said on Sunday the foreign ministers of Iran and Iraq had discussed a "misunderstanding" between the countries' border guards.
In Saturday evening's phone conversation, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his Iraqi counterpart Hoshiyar Zebari underlined the need for a meeting of officials "with the intention of enforcing bilateral border agreements", Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported.
