Source: Iran threatens airstrikes on Kurdish Region over opposition presence

Shafaq News/ Iran has warned Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) that it may launch airstrikes against Iranian opposition groups based in the Kurdish region if the security agreement between Baghdad and Tehran is not fully implemented, sources familiar with the matter told Shafaq News.

According to the sources, Tehran conveyed to Baghdad that its decision to proceed with military action hinges on the enforcement of the security pact signed by the two countries. In response, the Iraqi government is exerting diplomatic and political pressure on Iran to prevent escalation.

“Iranian officials have informed Iraqi security and political figures that they are preparing a military strike on opposition groups in the Kurdistan Region unless Baghdad and Erbil adhere to the terms of the agreement,” one source said.

The sources added that Iran has accused Iranian opposition factions in the Kurdistan Region of staging a military parade in recent days, viewing it as a provocation. “This development has prompted Iran to move forward with preparations for a potential attack,” the source said.

To defuse tensions, the Iraqi government has intensified diplomatic efforts to dissuade Iran from carrying out the strikes while also pressuring the KRG to fully comply with the security agreement, according to the sources.

Iran has long accused Kurdish opposition groups based in northern Iraq of smuggling arms and fighters into Iran to conduct attacks and foment unrest. Some of these groups advocate for the secession of Iran’s northwestern Kurdistan province, which borders Iraq.

Iranian opposition parties in the Kurdistan Region are primarily based in mountainous areas near the border. These include Komala, the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), and the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK), among others.

In 2023, Iraq and Iran signed a security agreement aimed at tightening border control and enhancing security cooperation. Under the deal, Iraq committed to preventing armed groups from using its territory in the Kurdish region to launch attacks on Iran. As part of the agreement, Iranian Kurdish opposition parties have been relocated to camps away from the border.

KRG officials have repeatedly assured Tehran that they will not allow the region to be used as a base to threaten neighboring countries.