Kurdistan

Spreading Kurdish militant attacks pressure Iran as it navigates fragile US diplomacy - analysis

The clashes appear to have taken place in several towns and cities in western Iran’s Kurdish region.

Members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) participate in a military drill in an outpost near Erbil, Kurdistan region of Iraq on January 15, 2026.
 A man looks through a screen during a state funeral service in Enqelab Square, for military commanders and others killed in the recent war with Israel on June 28, 2025 in Tehran, Iran. Israel and and Iran traded daily aerial attacks over a 12-day period until a ceasefire took effect on June 24.

Senior IRGC Navy officer dies in car crash as insurgencies escalate across western Iran

Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) run across a street in Raqqa, Syria, July 3, 2017.

Is a new insurgency brewing? Kurdish rebels clash with IRGC in major border escalation - analysis

 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio takes part in a media briefing during the 58th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' meeting and related meetings at the Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on July 10, 2025.

Marco Rubio in UAE warns Iran-backed militias in Iraq threaten regional stability


Why the Kurds are suddenly in the spotlight during the war with Iran - explainer

As Iranian proxies target Iraq's Kurdistan, the US is reportedly courting Kurdish Iranian militias for a ground front. Groups remain split between seizing the moment and avoiding total war.

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.

Erbil hotel hit by drone attack, security sources say

The drone attack, which came the same day as two other Erbil drone attacks, occured amid Kurdish concerns of being dragged into the Iran war.

A view of the Erbil Arjaan by Rotana hotel, in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region on March 6, 2026.

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.

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

IDF begins new wave of strikes on Iranian regime • Russia reportedly providing Iran with intel on US • IDF destroys Khamenei's bunker in Tehran • Smotrich's son injured in Lebanon

Smoke rising from a recent airstrike on March 6, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

Saudi Arabia intercepts Iranian ballistic missiles, drones, Bahrain suffers damage from Iran strike

Iran continues to launch attacks on Gulf countries, including Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base, amid operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion, causing damage in Bahrain's capital, Manama.

A Patriot missile battery is seen near Prince Sultan air base at al-Kharj on February 20, 2020; illustrative.

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

There is a burning desire among the Kurdish people to unite with the West and Israel to topple the regime in Tehran, yet there is deep pragmatic hesitation among the leadership.

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.

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

An Azerbaijani Turkic political prisoner held in Orumiyeh Central Prison was reportedly denied medical attention for hours after suffering a heart attack.

Prison cell block

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.