Iranian Kurdish parties pressure military to break ranks

2026-03-03 - 05:43

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah A coalition of Iranian Kurdish opposition factions has called on armed forces in Iran’s Kurdish regions to break with the Islamic Republic, as the US-Israeli air war intensifies on Tehran and tensions spread across the border into Iraq’s Kurdistan Region. In a statement numbered (1), the Coalition bringing together the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), the Khabat Organization of Iranian Kurdistan, and the Kurdistan Toilers Association, described developments inside Iran as moving toward “deep and fundamental transformations,” linking the current conflict to “decades of expansionist policies and Tehran’s interference in the affairs of countries in the region,” as well as to Iran’s nuclear program and missile development. In a statement, the Alliance of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan declares that this war is not a conflict between Iranian society and its nations on one hand, and the United States, Israel, or the international community on the other. The Alliance also calls upon the people... pic.twitter.com/ScaNvneSrv — PDKI (@PDKIenglish) March 2, 2026 Arguing that those policies had led to the destruction of the country and the collapse of the economy, the alliance added that the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with several senior military and political figures, had accelerated internal deterioration. ‘’We call on our residents in Kurdistan to remain alert and politically aware,’’ the statement added, urging them to safeguard public institutions and service facilities if unrest intensifies or state functions weaken. It also stressed the need to avoid chaos or acts of personal revenge, and encouraged solidarity with vulnerable and low-income communities. The appeal follows the launch of a US-Israeli air campaign against Iran on Feb. 28, 2026, targeting senior Iranian leaders, including Khamenei, his adviser Ali Shamkhani, and several military figures such as the defense minister and the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iran retaliated by targeting Israel and US bases in the Gulf States and the Kurdistan Region.