Following the disarmament and forced relocation of Kurdish political parties from Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhilat), the Iranian regime, in coordination with Iraq’s central government, is facilitating the transfer of these parties to a third country.
During Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to Baghdad and Erbil (Hewlêr), marking the second anniversary of the Jin, Jiyan, Azadi (Woman, Life, Freedom) uprising, a significant development took place. Iraq’s National Security Adviser, Qasim al-A’arji, announced the evacuation of 77 Kurdish political party bases in Rojhilat, which have now been handed over to Iraqi border forces.
According to the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA), al-A’arji confirmed the disarmament of Kurdish political parties from Rojhilat, who were previously stationed along the Iran-Iraq border in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). As part of a broader security strategy, these groups were relocated to other areas within Iraq.
In an interview with Iran’s state TV, al-A’arji stated that the 77 bases near the Iranian border, formerly controlled by these Kurdish parties, had been vacated and transferred to Iraqi border forces. He added that the party members had been temporarily moved to four camps in Erbil and two in Sulaymaniyah (Silêmanî). Additionally, ongoing negotiations with the United Nations aim to transfer these Kurdish groups to a third country to ensure they no longer pose a threat to Iran or Iraq.
A member of the Rojhilat parties, speaking to Iran International, disclosed that a large camp was constructed in the Surdash region in 2014 for refugees fleeing ISIS. This camp now houses Kurdish party members and their families, although the prefabricated shelters are considered inadequate for long-term residence.
Tabnak News Agency, associated with Iran’s conservative faction, reported that the location of the Surdash camp prevents the Komala forces from accessing Iran or smuggling weapons across the border.
Meanwhile, Khorasan newspaper, also aligned with Iran’s conservative circles, cited Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Khakpour, who praised the security agreement signed between Iraq and Iran as “the greatest victory of the Islamic Republic”. The newspaper further described the forced relocation of Komala forces before Pezeshkian’s visit to Iraq as a goodwill gesture by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to strengthen ties with Iran.
Akam News, linked to the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence, also revealed that as part of the Tehran-Baghdad security agreement, a list of officials and key members of Iranian Kurdish political parties had been submitted to Nechirvan Barzani for potential extradition.
In a related development, two members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), Behzad Khosravi and Shaho Ahmadzade, were reportedly handed over to Iran by authorities in Sulaymaniyah.
These actions align with the joint security agreement signed between Iran and Iraq on 19 March 2023, which stipulates that their shared borders must remain free of Kurdish political party activities.
