Iranian Kurdish parties in Iraq face a delicate balance amid Iran attacks
Iranian Kurdish groups based in Iraq have been heavily attacked in the war, but most deny US assistance. Erbil, Iraq – Iranian Kurdish opposition parties
Iranian Kurdish groups based in Iraq have been heavily attacked in the war, but most deny US assistance. Erbil, Iraq – Iranian Kurdish opposition parties have been on high alert since the United States-Israel strikes on Iran began on February 28. Their bases in the semi-autonomous Kurdish Region of Iraq and inside Iran itself have been thrust onto the front lines of the war. The possibility of Iranian Kurdish fighters entering the conflict to topple the Iranian government has also been widely discussed. Both US President Donald Trump and Israel have suggested that arming these fighters could tip the balance of power inside Iran, where Kurds make up about 10 percent of the population. Several leaders of these parties have told Al Jazeera they command military formations and organisational structures inside Kurdish areas in Iran, in addition to headquarters and bases in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. Kurdish groups from both sides of the border flourished after Iraq’s defeat in the 1990-1991 Gulf War led to the creation of a no-fly zone in northern Iraq and self-rule by the Kurdistan Regional Government. Iranian Kurdish groups, from the left to the nationalists, were particularly well insulated following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. On February 22, 2026, five Kurdish groups based in Iraq and western Iran formed the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan in response to the suppression of the protests. Since the war began, their military and political assets in Iraq have been heavily attacked by Iranian drones and missiles. Kako Alyar, a member of the political bureau of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, claimed his party had sleeper cells and networks that participated in antigovernment protests in Iran, which took place in December and January, until being violently crushed by security forces.
He also said that since the start of the war, 13 fighters connected to his party have been killed in Iranian attacks. “The outbreak of war has changed the circumstances within the Kurdish areas, especially after the Iranian authorities tightened security measures and suppressed the protests,” Alyar explained. “The party has not received any military assistance from the United States, nor from European or Arab countries, despite the demands to get such support.” US President Donald Trump has flip-flopped on the role of Kurdish groups in the US-Israel military campaign. But there have also been reports of US intelligence working with Kurdish fighters and that areas along the Iraq-Iran border have been particularly heavily attacked since the start of the war. Some have interpreted this as a sign that Washington might be serious about ground operations inside Iran by Iranian Kurdish groups. Iranian opposition fighters are sceptical about the success of any potential large-scale military operation in Kurdish areas in Iran, saying it would be a hugely risky endeavour and would likely lead to huge casualties for their side. “At the present time, there are risks, especially given the heavy deployment of Iranian forces in the Kurdish areas and along the border with the Kurdistan region,” Alyar said. The Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government had requested Iranian Kurdish parties to refrain from activities that could harm local security and interests, given the Iranian response. Various Iranian Kurdish groups, reportedly with thousands of fighters between them, have long opposed Tehran from their bases in northern Iraq and along the Iraq-Iran border. But Iranian opposition leaders are wary of US intentions regarding Iran, suggesting they have not seen any real intention of regime change. ”They [the US] don’t want to support forces inside Iran with the aim of toppling the regime.
The BriefWire