The Islamic regime has increased its military presence and the number of checkpoints in Iran’s Kurdish region, particularly near the Iraqi border, according to an updated bulletin by the British government.
Some sources have also reportedly claimed that security forces have begun occupying local facilities and establishments, including schools.
The bulletin does not specify whether the checkpoints were established in recent months, which would suggest they were introduced in response to reports that Kurdish groups were seeking to confront Tehran with backing from Washington.
Although restrictions have increased, the bulletin noted that fewer kolbars (cross-border couriers) were killed in 2025 than in the previous year. However, it attributed the decline in deaths to the Iran-Israel war, which prevented many kolbars from attempting the journey.
Iranian Kurds killed during January protest crackdown
Recent events, including the January demonstrations that were violently suppressed by the regime, have also seen Iran’s Kurdish community disproportionately affected by state violence.
During the 2026 protests, approximately 240 Kurds were confirmed to have been killed, representing about 3.5% of all deaths, according to the bulletin’s data. The report noted, however, that there is a significant discrepancy between the number of deaths reported by the Islamic regime and the figures presented by various NGOs.
One organization reported that over 2,000 Kurds were arrested during the demonstrations, out of what is estimated to be a total of 53,777 arrests in total. An informed source told The Jerusalem Post that the names of 855 Kurdish and Lorestan citizens imprisoned by the regime were presented to human rights organizations, including the names of 53 women.
One-third of Kurdish detainees given death sentences
In March 2026, 1,700 people were reportedly arrested, of whom 17.6% were Kurds. Meanwhile, more than 49% of the 454 political, civil, and religious activists tried by the judicial system in 2025 belonged to the Kurdish ethnic group. One-third of Kurdish detainees received death sentences.
The true number of Kurds executed in Iran in 2025 remains difficult to verify. The bulletin acknowledged that one NGO reported Kurds accounted for 5% of all executions, while another estimated they made up 14%.
Between January and March 2026 alone, the British government confirmed that 11 Kurds were executed on unspecified charges, representing 7% of all executions during that period.
According to the policy institute Chatham House, Iran’s Kurdish population is estimated at between 7 million and 15 million people, accounting for roughly 8% to 17% of the country’s total population.
Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM) noted that of the estimated 1,639 people who were executed in Iran last year, at least 82 Kurdish minorities were killed. Of those 82, only 6 of the executions were officially announced.