Iraqi Kurds Prepare for War With Iran: Rising Tensions on the Middle East’s Most Volatile Border

Who Are the Iranian Kurdish Militias?

The Kurdish fighters currently mobilizing near Erbil belong to a network of Iranian Kurdish opposition organizations that have historically opposed the Iranian government.

One of the most prominent among them is Komala, a left-leaning Kurdish political and military group founded in the late 1960s. The organization originally emerged as a revolutionary movement advocating for Kurdish autonomy and workers’ rights in Iran’s Kurdish regions.

Over time, the group evolved into an armed resistance organization after repeated clashes with Iranian security forces following the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Many Kurdish political groups rejected the centralized power of the new Islamic Republic, leading to violent confrontations in western Iran.

Today, several Kurdish Iranian opposition groups operate from bases in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. These organizations maintain small but organized armed forces, political wings, and networks inside Iranian Kurdish areas.

Among the major Kurdish Iranian groups are:

These organizations cooperate under umbrella alliances like the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan.

Their shared objective is political change in Iran and expanded rights or autonomy for Kurdish populations.

Pages ( 2 of 13 ): « Previous1 2 34 ... 13Next »
March 13, 2026 | 5:35 pm