Kurds

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.
A site of overnight Israeli airstrikes is pictured in the southern suburbs of Beirut on March 6, 2026.

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

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.

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

Prison cell block

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


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.

CIA working to arm Kurdish forces, aims to spark uprising against Iran regime - report

Iranian Kurdish opposition forces are expected to take part in a ground operation in Western Iran in the coming days, a senior Iranian Kurdish official told CNN.

The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) members pose for the camera as they celebrate Nowruz at the Jezhnikan Village around Baharka, Iraq, on March 18, 2025.

Who are the Kurdish groups and leaders that the US might work with in Iran? - explainer

The US is reaching out to Kurdish Iranian opposition groups as tensions rise, following airstrikes on Iran. Kurdish factions recently formed a coalition to oppose the Iranian regime.

 Members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) walk back to their outpost near Erbil, Kurdistan region of Iraq on Saturday, June 10, 2023. The KDPI, a leftist Kurdish group of Iran that has been running an armed struggle against the Islamic Republic's regime in Iran from exile for decades

Kurdish militias face high-stakes gamble in potential US alliance against Tehran - interview

Beyond what many see as a recent betrayal, the reality for Kurds in the Islamic regime will likely only worsen if the US and Israel fail to secure regime change.

Fighters from the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), an Iranian Kurdish opposition group, are pictured near the border with Iran in Iraq's Kurdistan Region, in the outskirts of Sulaimaniya, Iraq, June 21, 2025.

Drone strike hits Iranian Kurdish opposition group in Iraq, wounding two

A drone strike on an Iranian Kurdish opposition group’s base in Iraq’s Kurdistan wounded two fighters. This attack highlights ongoing tensions between Iran and militant groups in the region.

The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) members pose for the camera as they celebrate Nowruz at the Jezhnikan Village around Baharka, Iraq, on March 18, 2025.

US, Kurds discuss potential Iran military operation, sources say

While a final decision has not yet been made, the goal of a joint operation would be to create room for Iranians opposed to the Islamic regime to rise up.

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.

Pahlavi’s challenge: Will he overcome Kurdish distrust to lead a unified Iran? - opinion

Iran’s opposition struggles to unite as minority rights remain unresolved.

Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last shah and an Iranian opposition figure, speaks during the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Germany, February 13, 2026.