Iran has launched strikes against Kurdish groups along its border with Iraq while continuing attacks on Israel and US targets in the Gulf. The operations against armed Kurdish factions based in Iraq's semi‑autonomous Kurdistan came amid fears and reports that America was planning to arm them to foment divisions and further weaken the Iranian society.
Tehran says it is targeting groups it calls “anti‑Iran separatists,” Al Jazeera reported.
The CIA is supplying Kurdish groups with weapons to encourage an uprising inside Iran, as per CNN. The Trump administration has reportedly been in talks with Iranian opposition groups and Kurdish leaders in Iraq about military support.
Thousands of Kurdish fighters operate mainly in Iraq's Kurdistan region. Some groups have called on Iranian forces to defect since the war began. In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has carried out drone strikes on Kurdish units.
Who Are the Kurds?
The Kurds are an ethnic group living in parts of Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria. They speak Kurdish and have their own distinct culture. In Iran, Kurds live mainly in the west and northwest of the country. Many Kurds want to demand more rights and recognition, while some want self‑rule.
After the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Kurds hoped for some autonomy, but the government suppressed their demands. Since then, Kurdish areas in Iran have been heavily monitored by the state.
The death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman, in 2022 led to nationwide protests that started in Kurdish regions and spread across Iran.
Why Kurdish Militias Exist
Some Kurdish groups oppose the Iranian government because they say Kurds do not get equal rights and political freedom. Over the years, several armed Kurdish groups formed to fight for Kurdish goals, including autonomy or greater rights inside Iran. Many of these groups operate from Iraq's Kurdistan Region, which is mostly self‑governed and borders Iran.
Main Kurdish Armed Groups
- Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) - The PDKI is one of the oldest Kurdish groups. It started in the 1940s and has both political and armed elements. It has long called for more Kurdish rights or autonomy in Iran. Iranian authorities label it a terrorist group because it has fought Iranian forces in the past.
- Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) - PJAK was formed in the early 2000s. It has fought sporadically against Iranian security forces over the years. PJAK is tied in ideas to other Kurdish movements and has fighters based near the Iran‑Iraq border.
- Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) - The PAK is a Kurdish nationalist group that wants greater independence for Kurdish areas. It is smaller than PDKI and PJAK but has been active near the border.
- Khabat Organisation of Iranian Kurdistan - Khabat is another Kurdish party with an armed wing. It has existed since the 1980s and has fought Iranian forces at times.
- Komala Groups - There are several Komala factions. These started as left‑leaning Kurdish parties and sometimes conducted armed activities. They have split into different groups over time.
What The Kurdish Fight For
- Some want autonomy within a democratic Iran.
- Some want full independence for Kurdish regions.
- All generally want Kurdish people to have more rights and political power.
