The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) conducted missile strikes on three positions belonging to Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region early on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at approximately 4:30 a.m. local time. The IRGC described the targets as “separatist groups” and issued a stern warning that any actions threatening Iran’s territorial integrity would be met with crushing force.
This strike is part of a broader pattern of Iranian retaliatory attacks on these groups since the escalation of the US-Israel war against Iran, which began with joint strikes in late February 2026. Iran has repeatedly targeted bases of Iranian Kurdish opposition parties—such as the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI/KDPI), Komala Party, and Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK)—in northern Iraq, using missiles and drones. These operations aim to preempt potential cross-border activities amid reports of US involvement.
Multiple international sources, including CNN, Al Jazeera, Reuters, and Rudaw, confirm the IRGC’s announcement and link it to heightened tensions. President Donald Trump held phone calls with Kurdish leaders in Iraq (including Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani) and Iranian Kurdish figures earlier in the week, discussing possible cooperation and offering support like air cover in some accounts. Opposition groups have largely denied direct involvement in US plans or rejected claims of imminent large-scale incursions, though some leaders have suggested ground operations into western Iran (Rojhelat) are “highly likely” if conditions align.
In response to these developments, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has reiterated its neutrality in the US-Israel-Iran conflict, insisting it will not allow its territory to be used for attacks on neighbors. Despite this, the region has faced repeated Iranian and Iran-aligned militia strikes, including drone incidents in Erbil and Sulaimaniyah on Friday and Saturday with no reported civilian casualties in those specific events.
A coalition of five (now six, including Komala) Iranian Kurdish opposition parties formed in February 2026 to unify against the Islamic Republic and advance self-determination goals. These preemptive Iranian strikes appear designed to deter any coordinated push amid the ongoing war.
