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Iranian Kurdish opposition groups exiled in northern Iraq are training new fighters and preparing for potential cross-border operations against Tehran’s government, while facing regular drone strikes from Iranian forces. Commander Shaho Bloori, whose family includes 18 relatives killed by the regime including a brother executed for protest singing, leads training camps where Kurds await what they see as the right moment to launch ground operations. British forces stationed in Iraq recently shot down Iranian drones targeting these camps.

The Kurdish opposition has faced systematic persecution under both the Shah’s monarchy, which banned Kurdish language and forced Persian assimilation, and the Islamic Republic since 1979, when Ayatollah Khomeini declared a “holy war” against Kurds that killed thousands. Current exile groups say they’re waiting for ongoing Israeli and American airstrikes against Iran to conclude before considering ground action, with some reports suggesting they’ve requested air support from US and Israeli forces. The situation reflects decades of Kurdish struggles for autonomy across the region, with Iran’s estimated 10-12 million Kurds representing one of the world’s largest stateless populations facing continued repression.

Sources:

• Under drone fire, exiled Kurds wait to confront Iranian regime
• Iranian Kurds living in exile in Iraq are emboldened by attacks on regime : NPR
• Iranian drone strikes extend war into Iraq, pro-Iran militias’ role suspected | | AW
• Kurds ‘to begin ground operation in Iran within days’ - updates

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