Iranian Kurdish opposition groups unify to 'topple regime' but vow not to use Iraq as launching pad

Several Iranian Kurdish political parties based in Iraq have formed a new coalition to challenge Iran's Islamic Republic. They emphasised they will not use Iraqi territory for attacks against Iran and expressed strong scepticism about Reza Pahlavi as a viable alternative to the current regime.

Five Iranian Kurdish opposition groups have joined forces under the banner of the Coalition of Political Forces in Iranian Kurdistan, among them the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), and the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK).

In a joint statement, the alliance stated that it was formed to "assert our presence in Iran's current political situation, where the Islamic Republic regime has lost all political legitimacy but unfortunately remains in power."

The coalition's main objectives, it added, are "the struggle to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran, and to achieve self-determination for the Kurds."

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq has long hosted camps and bases for several Iranian Kurdish factions, many of which have been targeted by cross-border strikes from Tehran. The timing of the alliance has prompted debate among Iraqi Kurds, with some warning that it could expose the region to renewed Iranian military action.

 "We are not waiting for the US or other people. The Kurdish movement has been struggling for legitimate rights for the past 80 years," Mohammad Nazif Qadiri, a member of the PDKI executive committee, told The New Arab when asked whether the announcement was premature, given that Washington has not formally adopted a policy of regime change in Tehran. "

The alliance is a political, national and patriotic one for defending human rights, freedom, democracy, and peaceful coexistence for Iran's components. Thus, we hope the US and Europe will support it, because they have also suffered from the Islamic regime's terrorism for decades," Qadiri said.

Regarding relations with other Iranian opposition figures, including Reza Pahlavi, the eldest son of the last shah of Iran, Qadiri stated that the Kurdish parties maintain contact with various opposition groups but have serious reservations about the exiled prince's political vision.

"So far, the son of Shah has no clear and public political plan as per the other nations in Iran; thus, from what we hear and read of what is said on his behalf, he is, in fact, worse than the current Islamic regime. Secondly, the Shah's regime was a dictatorship against Kurds, and now Pahlavi's agenda does not include an optimistic view for the Iranian nation, and for real democracy and coexistence," he remarked.

Within hours of the announcement, the Ministry of Interior of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) issued a statement reaffirming that the Iraqi Kurdistan Region "will not allow any party to use its territory as a base to target neighbouring countries," underscoring its commitment to regional stability.

Qadiri stated that the coalition understands the Kurdistan Region’s political sensitivities and respects its achievements. He confirmed that authorities were notified before the announcement and assured that no military action would be launched from Iraqi territory.

He added that the five parties remain primarily active in Iranian Kurdistan, where they conduct military, political, and cultural activities in Kurdish-populated cities and towns.

Relatively, the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah warned Kurdish authorities on Monday against joining any potential military action against Iran, as tensions rise over an increased US military presence in the Gulf.

In a statement, spokesperson Abu Ali al-Askari urged Kurds in the  Kurdistan Region to avoid what he described as a "military adventure" targeting Iran. He alleged that the United States could seek to launch operations from Syria through the Kurdistan Region.

This warning coincides with US President Donald Trump's threat to strike Iran if Thursday's negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program fail, and the latest deployment of US warships to the region.

Iran has been targeting members and bases of various Iranian Kurdish opposition parties based in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, justifying the pretext that these parties were launching attacks against Iran's armed forces from Iraqi territories and fuelling protests inside Iran. Kurdish groups, in turn, strongly deny those accusations.

Kurds, a non-Arab ethnic group, have long agitated for their state. They number between 25 million and 35 million people and are spread across Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. In Iran, they make up around 10 per cent of the population.