Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has intensified missile and drone strikes against Kurdish opposition camps in Iraq as six Kurdish political groups unite against Tehran's regime. The attacks come amid reports of potential U.S. and Israeli coordination with Kurdish forces opposing Iran's government.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has launched a series of intensified strikes against Kurdish opposition camps in Iraq as tensions escalate between Tehran and a newly-formed coalition of Kurdish political groups.
The military offensive has targeted facilities belonging to six Kurdish organizations that recently united against Iran’s government, including a Wednesday night assault on a Komala camp and Monday drone strikes against the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran’s base in Koya, Iraq.
According to Kurdish news outlet Rudaw, the targeted facilities house families of opposition fighters. The Kurdistan Freedom Party reported that one of its Peshmerga soldiers died in an IRGC missile strike on their headquarters.
Tasnim News Agency, which has ties to the Revolutionary Guard, confirmed Tuesday that Iranian forces launched 30 drones in what they called a “targeted intelligence operation” against Kurdish groups allegedly “planning infiltration and action against the country.” The agency claimed the positions were “powerfully destroyed.”
Later reports from the same outlet alleged strikes on a U.S. military installation in Erbil, though no other news organizations have verified this claim. These developments coincide with ongoing military exchanges between Iran and both the United States and Israel over recent days.
Shiwa Hassanpour, a student and human rights advocate in Erbil, described the continuing impact on civilians. She told The Media Line that missile fragments struck her home during one attack. “The IRGC attacks on the Kurdistan Region intensified significantly on Wednesday night,” she said, noting that “many areas of Erbil suffered damage, and some people were injured.” Much of the civilian harm results from intercepted missiles and drones crashing into populated areas, she explained.
Kurdish political organizations have disputed media reports suggesting they plan immediate military action inside Iran. Two sources in the Kurdistan Region told The Media Line that an Axios report claiming Kurdish forces were preparing border incursions and engaging with CIA and Mossad officials was inaccurate, stating that their fighters remain at established bases.
However, major news organizations including Associated Press and Reuters have reported discussions between Kurdish groups and U.S. officials about potential operations against Iran’s government amid the current regional conflict.
President Donald Trump reportedly held phone conversations Sunday with key Iraqi Kurdistan leaders Masoud Barzani of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and Bafel Talabani of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, discussing the ongoing confrontation with Iran. According to Axios, these calls resulted from Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s efforts to strengthen U.S.-Kurdistan coordination.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump is weighing support for Kurdish opposition forces, while CNN confirmed the president spoke with Mustafa Hijri, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran, one of the most prominent Kurdish political organizations.
Current security agreements between Iran and Iraq require Kurdish opposition groups to maintain camps away from the border under strict limitations, prohibiting military operations against Tehran from Iraqi territory. These accords mandate disarmament of the groups, though complete weapons surrender has faced resistance from Kurdish organizations.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denied Wednesday that the U.S. is providing arms to Iranian Kurds, though media reports indicate increased Israeli outreach to Kurdish parties recently. Thursday evening, President Trump told Reuters he welcomed and supported Kurdish operations against Iran’s regime.
Many Iranian Kurdish organizations have maintained positive relationships with Israel for years. The Kurdistan Free Life Party, one of the six groups in the new alliance, has stated openly that cooperation with Israel would be welcome if it advances Iranian freedom.
Peyman Viyan, one of two leaders of the Kurdistan Free Life Party and the only female leader among Iranian Kurdish groups, said in one interview that “at present we have no contact with the United States and Israel,” but told Israel’s Channel 12 that Iranian liberation could come through Iranian-Israeli cooperation.
Abdullah Mohtadi, secretary-general of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, recently met with U.S. Congress members during a Washington visit. Kurdish organizations, which command substantial numbers of armed Peshmerga fighters, appear to have gained prominence in U.S. and Israeli strategy during the current conflict with Iran.
Komala, described as a leftist party with moderate positions, announced Wednesday it was joining the coalition of five other Kurdish organizations opposing Iran’s government. The six groups – Kurdistan Democratic Party, Komala, Komala of the Toilers, Kurdistan Free Life Party, Kurdistan Freedom Party, and Khabat – now represent thousands of Peshmerga fighters in the Kurdistan Region and maintain active support networks inside Iranian Kurdistan.
Nearly all Iranian Kurdish political movements seek autonomy for Iranian Kurdistan and broader Iranian freedom. Recently, exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi, a prominent opposition figure, used strong language against the Kurdish coalition’s joint actions and threatened “suppression by the army,” generating widespread criticism. On Tuesday, he issued a video message walking back his previous statements, saying he supports ending discrimination against Iran’s ethnic minorities, including Kurds.
Kurdish opponents of Iran’s government have engaged in repeated clashes with the Revolutionary Guard in recent weeks, with Tehran responding through missile strikes on their facilities. Since Sunday, Iran has significantly escalated missile and drone launches against Iranian Kurdish party bases and camps in Iraq, with additional drone strikes reported Thursday.
Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region, said Thursday he wants the area kept out of the broader conflict.
Earlier this week, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, without specifically naming the Revolutionary Guard, condemned ongoing missile and drone strikes as “terrorist attacks” and called on Iraq’s federal government to intervene.
Thursday saw Kurdistan Region media outlets denouncing Iran’s attacks on Erbil and surrounding areas, as well as strikes on camps housing Iranian Kurdish party families, warning that the operations endanger civilian lives.