Iran's Quds Force meets deadlocked Kurdish parties

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region -  A delegation representing the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards arrived in the Kurdistan region on Sunday to meet with political groups deadlocked over the presidency of Masoud Barzani. 

The group reportedly met with Hero Ibrahim Ahmed, wife of Jalal Talabani, on Sumaimani on Sunday to discuss the role of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). The delegation held separate meetings with PUK officials Kosrat Rasul Ali and Barham Salih.

Official sources from the PUK told Rudaw, the Iranians discussed internal problems inside the PUK and Barzani's disputed presidency term. 

"The Iranian delegation is scheduled to meet with Goran Movement leader Nawshirwan Mustafa and then will visit Erbil to meet the president of the Kurdistan region, Masoud Barzani," the PUK source told Rudaw. 

The visit of the Quds Force delegation is the third time Iran has sent envoys to discuss the political stalemate. The Quds Force, which translates as "Jerusalem Force," is a special forces unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards that operates outside of Iran. 

In July, an Iranian delegation headed by Ahmed Amiri, assistant secretary general of the National Security Council of Iran, arrived in the Kurdistan region to meet with the leaders of the two main parties, the PUK and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) individually.

Qassem Soleimani, head of the Quds Force, also recently met with Kurdish leaders.

"I am not aware with the coming of the Iranian delegation, but Iran could play an active role in resolving the issue of the presidency of the Kurdistan region," said Mohamed Ahmed, secretary general of the Islamic Union of Kurdistan.

The main five Kurdish political parties have held six meetings to reach a consensus on whether to extend the Barzani's presidency past its August 20 expiration date, but so far there is no result.

In the absence of a regional constitution to regulate presidential term limits, the question of whether Barzani should stay past his term or leave has polarized parliament and Kurdish society.