Jump to content

2026 Kurdish rebellion in Iran

Page extended-confirmed-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2026 Kurdish rebellion in Iran
Part of Kurdish separatism in Iran, the 2025–2026 Iranian protests and the 2026 Iran war

A fighter of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan in a camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, March 2026
Date5 January 2026 – present (2 months and 1 day)
Location
Eastern Kurdistan, Iran and Kurdistan Region, Iraq
Status Ongoing
Belligerents
Supported by:
Casualties and losses
1 killed and 4 injured (from aerial attacks) Unknown

The 2026 Kurdish rebellion in Iran[1][2] refers to a period of intensified political and armed activity by Kurds in Iran in early 2026 to achieve self-determination. Major Iranian Kurdish parties called for general strikes during the 2025–2026 Iranian protests, which were largely observed by the Kurdish population,[3] carried out limited insurgent operations, and formally united under the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan (CPFIK), amid a period of political instability and weakening of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Subsequent war with the United States and Israel prompted attacks on Iranian Kurdish parties based in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq by Iran, while observers speculated about the potential for a broader Kurdish military offensive within Iran.

Background

Main article: Kurdish separatism in Iran

The struggle for Kurdish separatism in Iran dates back to the early 20th century, including tribal uprisings and the rise of Kurdish nationalism, and culminated in 1946 when Qazi Muhammad declared the short-lived Republic of Kurdistan.[4] After the republic's collapse, Iranian Kurdish parties continued to pursue autonomy or independence and were involved in several armed confrontations with Pahlavi Iran, which banned the Kurdish language and attempted to force assimilation into a Persian identity.[5] Oppression continued under the Islamic Republic of Iran after it overthrew the monarchy in 1979. Ayatollah Khomeini proclaimed a "holy war" (jihad) against the Kurds in the aftermath of the revolution, which led to the murder of thousands of Kurds.[6]

Over time, most of these parties were forced into exile in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. From there, some participated in the war against the Islamic State, during which many were trained by US forces,[7] carried out sporadic cross-border attacks into Iran,[8] and were themselves targeted by Iranian missile and drone strikes in 2018 and 2022.[9] They also maintained and trained their armed wings, received dissidents fleeing crackdowns during protests in Iran, such as the Mahsa Amini protests, while shifting their activities inside Iran toward political support.[8][10][11] Iran has also sought to assert control over these groups, for example through a 2023 security agreement with Iraq that aimed to disarm them and relocate them away from border areas.[12][13][better source needed]

During the Twelve-Day War the previous year, Kurdish groups began organizing politically in anticipation of a potential power vacuum in Iran, but they did not launch any armed operations.[14] ITV News reported that Israel and the United States of America started to smuggle weapons into Western Iran since the Twelve-Day War.[15]

Early developments in the 2025–2026 Iran protests

On 5 January 2026, several Iranian Kurdish parties issued a joint statement calling for a general strike to be held on 8 January in Kurdish areas during the 2025–2026 Iranian protests.[16][12][17] Strikes were observed in more than 50 cities and towns,[3] including in Kermanshah province, Kurdistan province, and West Azerbaijan province.[18] This was seen as a major success for the Kurdish parties, demonstrating their influence and ability to mobilize people quickly and effectively, something not seen since the Mahsa Amini protests.[3]

First instances of insurgency

During the protests, the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) claimed to have "played a role in the protests through both financial support and armed operations," coinciding with Iranian media reports accusing the group and other Kurdish factions of attacking Iranian forces.[14]

On 10 January, according to PAK, its fighters injured three members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Nourabad, Lorestan Province,[19] and also claimed to have killed six IRGC members in a separate incident.[20] On 11 January, PAK claimed attacks in Kermanshah and Isfahan.[16] On 13 January, PAK claimed another attack on an IRGC position in Kermanshah.[16] The group regularly released photos and videos purportedly showing gunfire and buildings set ablaze. The Tasnim News Agency, which is close to the IRGC, stated that Kurdish groups including PAK had "entered the field phase" of the protests through coordinated actions.[2] On 21 January, PAK reported that it had been targeted in retaliatory Iranian missile strikes following its operations.[9]

Coordination among Iranian Kurdish parties

Main article: Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan

On 22 February 2026, an alliance of five major Iranian Kurdish parties was formed, the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan (CPFIK), which includes the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), the Organization of Iranian Kurdistan Struggle (Khabat), and the Komala of the Toilers of Kurdistan.[21] The coalition described its aims as "toppling the Iranian regime" and achieving Kurdish self-determination in Iranian Kurdistan.[12]

Preparations for Kurdish rebellion in the 2026 Iran war

"We are preparing for a nationwide uprising and the Iranian regime is no longer able to defend itself," said Reza Kaabi, secretary general of the Komala of the Toilers of Kurdistan on 3 March 2025.

On 28 February, following the beginning of the 2026 Iran war, representatives of the Kurdish coalition stated that they were jointly coordinating political and military decisions and preparing for a new phase, claiming that their forces were "deep inside Iran" and along the Iran–Iraq border, ready to respond as the situation develops.[22]

On 2 March 2026, in their first joint statement since its founding, the Kurdish coalition and its members addressed Iran's armed forces stationed in Kurdish areas, urging them to "separate themselves from the remnants of the Islamic Republic." The statement also called on the population to remain vigilant and coordinated, align political actions with the alliance's guidance, and protect public institutions and service facilities during what it described as a period of potential regime collapse and popular uprising.[23]

On 4 March, PJAK called on the people of Iranian Kurdistan to form "local governance committees" and "self-defense committees", to resist displacement by government forces and to stay away from their known whereabouts during the US–Israeli strikes.[24]

Strikes on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Main article: 2026 Iranian strikes on the Kurdistan Region

In what appeared to be a preemptive move, the Iranian army targeted positions of Iranian Kurdish parties in missile and drone strikes in the Kurdistan Region in Iraq.[25] On 2 March, PAK announced that two of its bases in Erbil were targeted.[26] The strikes led to the death of at least one PAK fighter.[27]

On 6 March Iran threatened to target "all the facilities" of the Kurdistan region of Iraq if Kurdish militants were allowed to enter Iran by the authorities.[28]

Preparations by the US and Israel

On 3 March 2026, The Wall Street Journal stated that US President Donald Trump was open to supporting armed militias, particularly Kurds.[29] The reports coincided with intensified strikes in the Kurdish-majority areas of western Iran (Iranian Kurdistan) targeting police stations, border posts along the Iran–Iraq border, and other security facilities, which some sources suggested may have "paved the way for a Kurdish advance"[29][30][31][32] and also hinted at a strategy built around the Kurds.[33] The human rights organization Hengaw stated that the strikes had already resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Iranian security personnel in the Kurdish regions, which it said may have been "underreported".[34] According to ITV News, since the start of last year, weapons have been smuggled into western Iran to arm thousands of Kurdish volunteers, and Kurdish sources have told the outlet that US and Israeli forces were asked to provide air cover when any such ground operation begins.[15] These reports were corroborated by CNN, which stated that the CIA was working to arm Kurdish forces to spark an uprising in Iran.[35] A few days after the start of the war, Trump held calls with Kurdish leaders of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq's two main parties, Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani, discussing what were described as "sensitive" topics,[36] as well as with Mustafa Hijri, the leader of the PDKI.[35] According to reporting by The Washington Post, Trump offered "extensive US air cover" and other backing to anti‑regime Iranian Kurdish groups to help them seize portions of western Iran, and in conversations with Kurdish leaders told them that the Kurds must choose a side "either with America and Israel or with Iran."[37]

According to Axios, US and Israeli officials told the outlet that the idea of supporting Iranian Kurdish factions and using them as a force for a possible ground offensive from Iraq into Iran originated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Mossad, with the CIA later joining the effort.[38]

Members of Kurdish opposition groups affirmed the plans, with one stating that "we can't move if the air above us is not cleared" and calling for a "no-fly zone" similar to the Iraqi no-fly zones, which helped Kurds in Iraq establish autonomy after 1991.[7]

Disputed reports of clashes in Iranian Kurdistan

On 2 March 2026, a PDKI political analyst stated that the party's forces had targeted the Iranian state's military and security facilities, including missile facilities.[25]

On 4 March, Fox News and other US media outlets claimed a Kurdish-led ground offensive had begun, with Israeli-run i24NEWS stating that fighters from PJAK were moving into positions around the southern mountains of Marivan in the Kurdistan Province of Iran.[39][40] No footage was provided, and the official cited was left unnamed.[39] On 5 March, PJAK, PDKI, PAK and Komala denied that a Kurdish offensive in Iran had started. Aziz Ahmed, an official of Kurdistan Region in Iraq, stated that "not a single Iraqi Kurd has crossed the border."[41][42][43] Channel 12 reporter Barak Ravid, who at first cited a US official confirming the offensive, later said there were "conflicting reports."[40] The IRGC also rejected such reports as "subversive."[43]

On 6 March, Mohammad Saleh Qadri, a senior figure within the PDKI, stated that "a large force of ours is already in Iran" and that military action against the regime would begin "as soon as possible."[44]

References

  1. ^ Solomon, Jay (4 March 2026). "Why the Kurds Hold the Key to Iran's Future". The Free Press. Retrieved 5 March 2026. [...] the burgeoning Kurdish uprising is a sign of cracks in the Islamic Republic's hold over the country [...]
  2. ^ a b Martany, Stella; Sewell, Abby; Gambrell, Jon (16 January 2026). "Kurdish separatist group claims to have mounted 'armed operations' in Iran to defend protesters". AP News. Retrieved 6 March 2026. An Iranian Kurdish separatist group in Iraq said it has launched attacks on Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in recent days in retaliation for Tehran's violent crackdown on protests.
  3. ^ a b c "Iran's military-grade crackdown expands from Kurdish areas – and Kurds fear the worst". France 24. 24 January 2026. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  4. ^ Hassaniyan, Allan (2024). Kurdish Politics in Iran. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 1009014277.
  5. ^ "Iranian Kurdish groups gamble on US support". The Jerusalem Post. 4 March 2026. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  6. ^ Hevian, Rodi (2013). The main Kurdish political parties in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey: a research guide (PDF). Middle East Review of International Affairs (Online). p. 95.
  7. ^ a b "Iran war: Why the boots on Iran's ground could be Kurdish". BBC. 5 March 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  8. ^ a b Milburn, Franc (May 2017). "Iranian Kurdish Militias: Terrorist-Insurgents, Ethno Freedom Fighters, or Knights on the Regional Chessboard?". Combating Terrorism Center. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  9. ^ a b "Kurdish group claims Iran missile, drone attack". The Jerusalem Post. 21 January 2026. Archived from the original on 9 February 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  10. ^ "From protester to fighter: Fleeing Iran's brutal crackdown to take up arms over the border". CNN. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  11. ^ "Female Fighters Of The Kurdish Opposition To Iranian Regime Train In Camps In Iraqi Kurdistan: We Participated In The Demonstrations But Had To Leave Iran Due To Security Forces Crackdown". MEMRI. 5 February 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  12. ^ a b c "Iranian Kurdish opposition groups form new joint alliance". The New Region. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  13. ^ "Iran says deal reached with Iraq to 'disarm, relocate' terrorist groups". Anadolu Agency. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  14. ^ a b "Kurdish separatists claim 'armed operations' in Iran to defend protesters". The New Arab. 16 January 2026. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  15. ^ a b Murphy, Emma (4 March 2026). "United States seeking an armed uprising inside Iran, with ground operation expected within days". itv.com. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  16. ^ a b c Frantzman, Seth (15 January 2026). "Kurdish opposition groups in Iran support protests, claim attacks on Tehran regime". FDD's Long War Journal. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  17. ^ "Iran Update, January 8, 2026". Institute for the Study of War. 9 January 2026. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  18. ^ "Kurdistan on strike as shops and markets close across 39 cities". Hengaw. 8 January 2026. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  19. ^ "Iran Update, January 10, 2026". Institute for the Study of War. 11 January 2026. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  20. ^ "Iran's Kurdish opposition strengthens as protests intensify". The Jerusalem Post. 12 January 2026. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  21. ^ "Iranian Kurdish opposition parties form new alliance amid rising US-Iran tensions". Rudaw. 22 February 2026. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  22. ^ "Partîyên Kurdên Îranê di Biryarên Xwe yên Siyasî û Leşkerî de Yekgirtî ne". Voice of America (in Kurdish). 28 February 2026. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  23. ^ "In Their First Statement, Iranian Kurdish Alliance Signals Readiness for Regime Change". The Amargi. 2 March 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  24. ^ "PJAK'tan halka çağrı: Derhal kendi yerel yönetim komitelerinizi kurun". ANF News (in Turkish). 4 March 2026. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  25. ^ a b Frantzman, Seth J. (2 March 2026). "Kurdish Iranian opposition groups say Iran targeted them in northern Iraq, claim operations in Iran". Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Archived from the original on 5 March 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  26. ^ "Erbil attacked with over 70 missiles, drones: Iraqi FM". Rudaw. 3 March 2026.
  27. ^ "Missile attack kills Rojhelat Peshmerga in Erbil". rudaw.net. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  28. ^ "Tehran threatens to target Iraqi Kurdistan if militants enter Iran". Al Arabiya English. 6 March 2026. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  29. ^ a b "Trump Open to Supporting Armed Militias in Iran, U.S. Officials Say". The Wall Street Journal. 3 March 2026. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  30. ^ "Daily Report: The Second Iran War – March 3, 2026 (19:00)". Alma Research and Education Center. 3 March 2026. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  31. ^ "Rojhelat security, military bases targeted as strikes intensify along borders". Rudaw. 3 March 2026. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  32. ^ "Bombing of Iranian military, police, border guard, intellegence bases continues in western Iran". Rudaw. 3 March 2026. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  33. ^ "Airstrikes in Iran's West Target Police Stations and Border Posts, Hinting at a Ground Strategy Built Around the Kurds". The National Context. 3 March 2026. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  34. ^ "At least 1,500 killed on third day of war, including 200 civilians". Hengaw. 2 March 2026. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  35. ^ a b "CIA working to arm Kurdish forces to spark uprising in Iran, sources say". CNN. 3 March 2026. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  36. ^ Ravid, Barak; Caputo, Marc (2 March 2026). "Scoop: Trump calls Kurdish leaders in Iran war effort". Axios. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  37. ^ "Trump calls on Kurds to aid U.S. effort in Iran, offers support". The Washington Post. 5 March 2026. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  38. ^ Ravid, Barak; Caputo, Marc (5 March 2026). "Kurds backed by Mossad, CIA could lead next phase of war in Iran". Axios. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  39. ^ a b Pobegailova, Yulia (4 March 2026). "EXCLUSIVE: Thousands of Kurdish fighters launch ground offensive into Iran against regime, official says". i24NEWS. Archived from the original on 5 March 2026. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  40. ^ a b "Iran says it hit Kurdish forces in Iraq, as some groups plan to join fight against Tehran". The Times of Israel. 5 March 2026. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  41. ^ "Kurdish forces deny reports of alleged ground offensive against Iran". Firat News Agency. 5 March 2026. Wikidata Q138574159. Archived from the original on 5 March 2026.
  42. ^ "Kurdish opposition groups deny claims of ground offensive in Rojhelat". Rudaw Media Network. 5 March 2026.
  43. ^ a b Stein, Amichai; Kweller, Idan (5 March 2026). "Hundreds of Kurdish fighters launch ground offensive in Iran, officials deny reports". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 5 March 2026.
  44. ^ אלמגור, תומר (6 March 2026). "בלעדי | בכיר כורדי בריאיון ל-N12: "נתחיל לפעול נגד איראן בהקדם"". N12 (in Hebrew). Retrieved 6 March 2026.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2026_Kurdish_rebellion_in_Iran&oldid=1342068560"