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


Kurdish leaders in Iraq seek stability and influence under Zaidi government - analysis

Iraqi Kurdish leaders are seeking greater influence in Baghdad as Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi forms a new government amid rising regional tensions.

The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) members pose for the camera as they celebrate Nowruz at the Jezhnikan Village around Baharka, Iraq, on March 18, 2025.

Iran continues to attack Kurdish groups in Iraq despite new Iraqi PM

Iran and its militias have carried out more than 800 attacks on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq since February 28, when the US and Israel began strikes on Iran.

Iranian Kurdish fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party, known as PAK take part in a training session at a base on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq.

IRGC targets Komala headquarters in Kurdistan Region with drone strike - report

Additionally, residents in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm, and Sirik reported hearing explosions around 4 a.m. local time, several hours after the reported explosions in the Biban region.

Smoke rises after a drone attack targeted oil facilities in the Zakho area of Iraq's Kurdistan region, Iraq July 16, 2025.

Kurdistan Region hopes for stability with new Iraq Prime Minister

Iraq’s prime minister is chosen by Shi’ite political parties to reflect the fact that Shi’ites are the largest group in Iraq, while the Kurds receive the presidency. 

New Iraqi Prime Minister designate Ali al-Zaidi, uses a phone at his office in Baghdad, Iraq, April 28, 2026.

United States faces crossroads in Iraq as new prime minister is appointed - analysis

However, as the US seeks to put on a positive face regarding the incoming prime minister, the US is also announcing new rewards for information on several key Iraqi militia leaders.

A boy holds an Iraqi flag near the Iranian embassy during a gathering following the announcement of a ceasefire between Iran and the United States, in Baghdad, Iraq, April 8, 2026.

Iraq signs anti-drone deal for Baghdad but leaves Kurdistan vulnerable to attacks - analysis

Iraq acquires anti-drone systems for Baghdad's protection but excludes Kurdistan, leaving the region exposed to ongoing militia strikes and escalating violence.

Iraqi Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari (C) arrives at the police club stadium in Baghdad on June 5, 2023, during the annual sports festival of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior.

Israel and Kurdistan: Regional collapse reshapes the Middle East map - opinion

Israel and Kurdistan face shared adversaries, raising questions about new alliances as old Middle East borders weaken and fragment.

A fighter from the Iranian Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) takes part in a training exercise at a base near Erbil, Iraq, in February.

US offers $10 million for information about three Iraqi militia leaders

On April 24, the United States also offered a $10m. reward for Hishim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji, known as Abu Ala al-Walai, the head of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, an Iraqi paramilitary group.

A boy holds an Iraqi flag near the Iranian embassy during a gathering following the announcement of a ceasefire between Iran and the United States, in Baghdad, Iraq, April 8, 2026.

Ghazal, youngest female Kurdish Peshmerga, dies after IRGC strike and medical neglect

Ghazal Molan, 19, died after being wounded in an IRGC drone strike, amid claims she was denied urgent hospital care before being laid to rest in Sulaymaniyah.

 Ghazal Molan, the youngest female Peshmerga opposed to the Islamic Republic, had joined Kurdish armed opposition forces across the border at the age of 18 and died on Tuesday evening.

Iranian-backed drone attack kills Kurdish female member of opposition group

A Kurdish woman was killed in a drone strike in northern Iraq, suspected to be carried out by an Iran-backed militia targeting opposition groups.

Komala Toilers of Kurdistan militia members during a military ceremony near Erbil, Iraq, March 12, 2026; illustrative.