Iranian Rouhani Hassan Rouhani said Iran backs a "united and integrated" Iraq and all regional countries are duty-bound to defense a federal administration in this country, Iran’s state TV reported.

"All the regional countries and ethnic groups are duty-bound to defend a federal administration (in Iraq) and help secure border demarcations in the region," said Rouhani.

His comment comes after he met with semi-autonomous Kurdistan region’s Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, the first such high-level trip to Iran since last year’s Kurdish independence referendum which Iran strongly opposed.

"Extra-regional powers and forces do not and will not feel any sympathy for people of the region," he said, adding that foreign powers' intervention aims to deal a blow to regional stability and security.

"Extra-regional powers and forces only think about achieving their own long-term goals," he said.

Barzani said Iraqi Kurds want a "unified Iraq," and all sides should remain committed to the Arab country's constitution and pursue their demands through legal channels.

“President Rouhani stressed the historical and deep-rooted ties between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kurds of Iraq, and said all efforts should be made to strengthen the close relations between the two nations of Iran and Iraq,” the state news agency IRNA reported.

In September 2017, Iraq's Kurdistan semi-autonomous region held an independence referendum; however, the central government rejected the results and adopted punitive measures against them.