to the Iranians as security forces , but the official Iraqi government statement later called them an armed group . Alaeddin Borujerdi , head of the Iranian parliament 's national security and foreign policy commission , also rejected Iraqi allegations , blaming the international media for distributing propaganda intended to harm relations between Iran and Iraq . Drilled in 1979 , the well near the city of Amara is within the province 's Fakka oil field , which includes a number of wells , the Iraqi government said . The diplomatic scuffle , a manifestation of existing tension between the two neighbors , prompted discussions between Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari on Saturday , Iran 's state-run Press TV reported . Iraq and Iran share a long border , and high-ranking committees from both countries handle all border matters , an Iranian Embassy official said . Political , economic , cultural and religious ties between Iran and Iraq , which are both majority Shiite Muslim nations , greatly improved after the overthrow of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003 . At the same time , there has been widespread concern among Iraqi and U.S.
Tehran , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iranian forces that seized an Iraqi oil well have withdrawn from the installation but remain on Iraqi territory , a top Iraqi official charged Sunday . Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki 's government deployed more troops to Maysan province where oil well number 4 is located , Iraqi security officials said . They said workers returned to the well Sunday morning , escorted by the Iraqi army . Negotiations to resolve the diplomatic standoff are ongoing , said Iraq 's Deputy Foreign Minister Labid Abawi . Iran , however , dismissed Iraq 's allegations of the takeover . `` Our forces are on our own soil and , based on the known international borders , this well belongs to Iran , '' the armed forces command said on the Web site of Iran 's state-run Arabic-language Al-Alam TV . The Iraqi government had issued a strong statement deploring the act after al-Maliki attended an emergency meeting of Iraq 's National Security Council to discuss the situation . Iraq demanded the Iranians withdraw remove an Iranian flag hoisted from the well tower in the takeover on Thursday night . Senior Iraqi government sources initially referred