sulaimania/baghdad senior iranian military commander repeatedly warn kurdish leaders northern iraq withdraw oil city kirkuk face onslaught iraqi force ally iranian-backed fighters kurdish officials brief meet say major-general qassem soleimani commander foreign operations iran elite revolutionary guard travel iraq kurdistan region meet kurdish leaders least three time month baghdad government lightning campaign recapture territory across north presence soleimani frontlines highlight tehran heavy sway policy iraq come shi ite iran seek win proxy war middle east regional rival u.s. ally sunni saudi arabia soleimani meet leaders patriotic union kurdistan puk one two main kurdish political party northern iraq city sulaimania day iraqi prime minister haider al-abadi order force advance kirkuk accord puk lawmaker brief meet message clear withdraw risk lose tehran strategic ally abadi regional power west behind nothing stop force return back mountains decide lawmaker quote soleimani tell puk leadership iranian general evoke late iraqi president saddam hussein massive attack kurdish rebellion 1991 almost entire kurdish population flee northern iraq mountains puk lawmaker say soleimani visit ... give last-minute chance decision-makers commit fatal mistake say lawmaker like others interview story decline identify sensitivity issue commanders iraqi kurdish force know peshmerga accuse iran orchestrate shi ite-led iraqi central government push areas control charge senior iranian officials deny iran make secret presence iraq tehran military help secret anymore find general soleimani picture iraq everywhere say official close iranian president hassan rouhani beside political issue kirkuk oil key element iran opec member control oil field iran enemies would disastrous us let enter oil market kirkuk fell iraqi government force monday offensive follow referendum last month semi-autonomous kurdistan region vote secede iraq baghdad wish kurds seek independent state almost century colonial power divide middle east fall ottoman empire leave kurdish-populated territory split turkey iran iraq syria iraq two main kurdish party odds referendum approach crisis kirkuk kurds consider heart homeland puk close ally iran accuse rival kurdistan democratic party kdp put kurds risk military intervention isolation push hard vote wide approval independence soleimani ally puk years referendum draw even close kurdish politics expand iran reach iraq beyond baghdad government iranian general strange conflict iraq fight eight-year war iran 1980s often see footage frontlines iran long help baghdad carry military strategy paramilitary shi ite militias fund arm referendum soleimani suggest kurdish leaders hold vote secession iran fear would encourage kurdish population agitate great autonomy would risky iranians clear clear conflict territories lose say one prominent iraqi kurdish politician meet soleimani ahead sept. 25 referendum oct. barely week vote soleimani attend funeral puk leader jalal talabani want make sure even close kurdish ally understand dangers withdraw kirkuk officials say senior iranian diplomat iraq official iran close supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei office say soleimani meet kurdish leaders talibani funeral urge withdraw kirkuk exchange tehran would protect interest soleimani meet one talabani sons bafel days father bury one puk officials say soleimani say abadi take seriously understand official say iranian source iraq say soleimani kirkuk two nights iraqi government offensive couple hours give military guidance iraqi intelligence source say tehran send clear signal puk understand source grind neighbor iran play decisive role make puk choose right course baghdad one iraqi intelligence official tell reuters tensions referendum kirkuk deepen divisions two main political party northern iraq kdp accuse puk betray kurdish cause capitulate iran strike deal withdraw talabani clan behind offensive kirkuk ask qassem soleimani help troop grind say source close massoud barzani president kurdistan regional government head kdp become clear iran direct operations destroy kdp puk strongly deny talabani son bafel accuse kdp miss zero-hour chance avoid lose kirkuk fail reach deal military base iraqi government force demand take back unfortunately react slowly find today bafel tell reuters two kurdish political source give similar account iran soleimani offer early assistance northern iraq kurds fight islamic state rally point kurdish community devastate loss kirkuk iraqi kurds leave disillusion puk kdp leaders make decisions play people live end pay price say pensioner abdullah ahmed sulaimania disaster everyone everyone unite daesh islamic state back look iranian commander issue stark warn iraqi kurds kirkuk