Iran calls on Kurdistan, Iraq to expel Kurdish opposition groups

Erbil, Kurdistan Region - The Islamic Republic of Iran has called on Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to expel Kurdish opposition groups for allegedly working with the US and Israel against Tehran.

The Iranian Consulate General in Erbil issued a statement on Wednesday on its Telegram channel, hours after Tehran agreed to a two-week ceasefire with the US and Israel, calling on Kurdish and Iraqi authorities to take action against these groups.

“The reckless president of the United States, acting as the voice of Satan, has exposed himself; in his recent speech, he openly spoke about the alliance and cooperation of US military and intelligence forces with certain Kurdish opposition and separatist groups in the region,” the statement read. “Trump’s remarks revealed how these groups secretly cooperate with the United States and the Zionist regime.”

Iran agreed with Baghdad and Erbil, through a security agreement in the aftermath of the 2022 anti-government protests in Iran - in which Kurdish groups played a vital role - to disarm Kurdish opposition groups, move them from their bases, and remove them from border areas.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted Kurdish opposition groups on numerous occasions with one-way drones and ballistic missiles prior to the outbreak of hostilities on February 28.

Kurdish groups were expected to open a new front against the regime in Tehran in the early days of the recent conflict, but the plans were quickly shelved by the US, and the groups were told to hold off. President Donald Trump also spoke with Kurdish leaders of the ruling parties in the Kurdistan Region to secure their consent for the operation.

Kurdish leaders on Wednesday welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Iran and its adversaries and expressed hope that it would also bring an end to the attacks on the Kurdistan Region.

Iran appears to have become more emboldened following the ceasefire and is expected to take harsh actions against those it deemed its enemies. The IRGC and Iran ministry of intelligence conducted a campaign of assassination and attacks on Kurdish opposition groups based in the Kurdistan Region after the 2022 anti-government protest.

“We are confident that the respected leaders of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq will review the destructive presence of these armed groups on their territory,” the statement read. “Now is the appropriate time to prosecute and expel them for their clear and undeniable espionage on behalf of the United States and the Zionist regime.”

Ahead of the conflict, the opposition parties announced a new political alliance to unify their efforts against the Islamic Republic and advance Kurdish self-determination, saying that they are fighting for the rights of the Kurdish minority in Iran and operate independently of any foreign power.

Tehran and its Iraqi proxy forces have launched hundreds of drones and missiles at the bases of these Kurdish opposition groups, killing at least six and wounding several more fighters.

Iran is expected to launch a new wave of crackdowns against dissidents inside the country, as thousands of people have been detained since February 28, when Israel and the US began an extensive air campaign against the regime in Tehran.