Kurdistan: Iran, Turkiye expand military presence with 200+ bases

Shafaq News/ Iran and Turkiye have expanded their military presence in the Kurdistan Region (KRI) with 225 bases, according to a member of the Kurdistan team at the US-based CPT organization.

“Iran has established 151 military bases along the KRI’s border and has advanced its forces between 5 and 10 kilometers into the Region,” team member Kamran Othman confirmed to Shafaq News. “These bases, constructed since 2012, stretch from Mandali district in Diyala province to Sidakan in Erbil province.”

Some Iranian positions, he added, are so close to Kurdish villages that residents can easily observe troop movements, warning that Iran’s presence in these areas “poses a significant challenge to local communities.”

As tensions rise in the Region, Iran has warned Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) that it may launch airstrikes against Iranian opposition groups based in KRI if the security agreement between Baghdad and Tehran is not fully implemented.

Othman also pointed out that Turkiye operates 74 military bases in the Region and has pushed 35 kilometers into Kurdish territory. He noted that both countries “continue to establish bases and advance their forces deeper into the area, raising concerns over security and stability.”