Kurds

Iran threatening Kurdish opposition groups in Iraq as it strikes Israel - analysis

One of Iran’s key strategies for maintaining regional influence is not to lose its hold over Iraq, leading to strikes against Kurdish Iranian opposition groups in Iraq.

Iranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party, known as PAK take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq February 12, 2026.
FOR IRAN’S Christian community, the postwar crackdown has been particularly severe, with at least 50 members detained by authorities. Here, Iranian Christians take part in the New Year prayer ceremony at a church in Tehran last January.

Iran’s ethnic groups could alter the balance of power - opinion

Demonstrators hold signs as they gather near the Francis Scott Key Bridge during rally in support of the Iranian people and to condemn the execution of political prisoners in Iran, in Washington, DC, on May 16, 2026.

Iran executes two men over January mosque arson amid trial outcry

A member of Komala of the Toilers of Kurdistan stands while holding a machine gun at a mountain base in Khalifan near Erbil, Iraq's Kurdistan region, on March 12, 2026.

Iran relentlessly targets Kurdish opposition in northern Iraq despite regional ceasefire - analysis


Why the Kurds are suddenly in the spotlight during the war with Iran - explainer

As Iranian proxies target Iraq's Kurdistan, the US is reportedly courting Kurdish Iranian militias for a ground front. Groups remain split between seizing the moment and avoiding total war.

Iranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq February 12, 2026.

Erbil hotel hit by drone attack, security sources say

The drone attack, which came the same day as two other Erbil drone attacks, occured amid Kurdish concerns of being dragged into the Iran war.

A view of the Erbil Arjaan by Rotana hotel, in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region on March 6, 2026.

Israel backing Iranian Kurdish push to seize Iran border areas, sources say

An Israeli source cautioned that there was pushback from the Iraqi Kurds, and without their practical support it would be hard for the Iranian Kurds to mobilize.

Iranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq February 12, 2026.

Iranian officers reportedly abandon posts amid airstrikes, Trump demands 'unconditional surrender'

IDF begins new wave of strikes on Iranian regime • Russia reportedly providing Iran with intel on US • IDF destroys Khamenei's bunker in Tehran • Smotrich's son injured in Lebanon

Smoke rising from a recent airstrike on March 6, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

Will the Kurds open a new front against Iran's Ayatollahs? - analysis

There is a burning desire among the Kurdish people to unite with the West and Israel to topple the regime in Tehran, yet there is deep pragmatic hesitation among the leadership.

Kurdish internal security forces stand guard, as Syrian Kurds demonstrate to demand the release of Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been held in prison by Turkey since his capture in 1999, in Qamishli, Syria February 15, 2026.

Iran denies medical care for political inmates at Kurdish region prisons, raises security - report

An Azerbaijani Turkic political prisoner held in Orumiyeh Central Prison was reportedly denied medical attention for hours after suffering a heart attack.

Prison cell block

Six Kurdish Iranian groups unite in coalition against Tehran regime - analysis

Iranian Kurdish parties form a historic coalition to coordinate efforts and safeguard Kurdish interests amid regional unrest.

Erfan Mortezaei, Mahsa Aminis cousin and his colleagues stand among the mountain on October 04, 2022 in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq as part of Komala Kurdistan's Organization of the Communist Party of Iran.

The Kurdistan region of Iraq fears being dragged into Iran war - analysis

As Iran faces US and Israeli strikes, Iraq’s Kurdistan Region fears being pulled into the conflict amid drone attacks, militia activity, and growing concerns about regional escalation.

Kurdish Peshmerga fighters affiliated with PAK train on January 18, 2026 near Erbil, Iraq.

IDF launches strikes on Hezbollah in Beirut’s Dahiyeh, missile fragments hit in central Israel

IDF destroys over 300 ballistic missile launchers • Erdogan tells Macron Turkey seeking return to negotiations on Iran • Larijani says Iran prepared for possible US ground op.

A United Hatzalah emergency responder at the scene of a missile hit in central Israel, March 5, 2026.

Hundreds of Kurdish fighters launch ground offensive in Iran, officials deny reports

The Kurdish forces operating along the Iran-Iraq border are considered one of the most prominent armed opposition groups confronting the regime in Tehran.

A Kurdish fighter in Iraq.