Why Iran is Striking Sulaimani: Inside the Escalating Attacks on Iraq’s Kurdistan Region

    Iran‑aligned forces and proxies have carried out numerous drone, rocket, and missile strikes across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, including Sulaymaniyah province — part of the spillover from the broader Iran conflict triggered by U.S.‑Israeli strikes on Iran beginning late February 2026. As airstrikes intensify, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan struggles to maintain neutrality amid regional conflict

                Casualities and official attacks on Kurdistan region of Iraq.

SULAIMANI, Iraq, 31 March, Kurdish Policy Analysis – On the night of March 14, explosions shook the western edge of Sulaimani city, rattling windows and waking residents miles away. The Peshmerga base at Fermendeyi (Military Headquarter) was hit again, part of a wave of attacks across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran two weeks earlier.

The attacks have continued over subsequent days. Lacking advanced air defense systems, Peshmerga forces fired automatic weapons in attempts to intercept incoming projectiles, with three wounded on March 18. Additional strikes hit a Peshmerga base in Chamchamal on March 22 and March 28.

Sulaimani, typically spared heavy military attention, has become an unusual target. Unlike Erbil, the city hosts few foreign troops, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) has historically maintained balanced relations with Tehran, Baghdad, and Washington.

“We do not want to be a part of this conflict and we do not want the Kurdistan Region, its skies and even its land, to be used as a threat in this war,” said Dr. Omed Fatah of the PUK’s Strategic Research Center.

The PUK-controlled zone, covering Sulaimani and Halabja governorates and Koya district in Erbil, has seen airstrikes before—primarily Turkish operations against the PKK, Iranian strikes on Iranian Kurdish groups like Komala and PDKI, and militia attacks on energy infrastructure. But strikes on populated areas around Sulaimani city remain rare.

Kurdistan Region was targeted in nearly 500 strikes since war outbreak, leaving 14 dead according to a report by The New Region. According to that report The majority of the attacks targeted Erbil province, which recorded 370 strikes. Sulaimani followed with 90, Duhok with 11, and Halabja recorded the fewest at three.


Casualties from drone/missile attacks: Several attacks in the broader region (including Sulaymaniyah and Erbil provinces) have killed and wounded Peshmerga fighters and other personnel.  Recent drone/missile rounds reportedly struck both military bases and opposition group facilities in Sulaymaniyah and elsewhere, according to reports.


The ongoing campaign is markedly more intense than prior incidents. Since late February, monitoring group Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT) recorded 474 attacks across the Kurdistan Region, killing 14 and wounding 93. Around 90 strikes have hit Sulaimani alone, many targeting Peshmerga linked to the PUK.

Iran and allied militias appear to be sending a message to the PUK: avoid involvement in the broader conflict.

“Alert and deter,” a senior security official told The Amargi, an independent grassroots online media based in Europe. “Both Tehran and the militias appear to be warning the PUK against supporting U.S. interests or Iranian Kurdish fighters. Military action adds force to that message.”

Dr. Fatah said the attacks aim to broaden the war’s focus, pressuring regional countries and complicating U.S. strategy in Iran. “The Kurdistan Region is known as a safe zone for Americans inside Iraq, that is why they are attacking even more,” he said.

The PUK continues to emphasize its neutrality, but the unfolding attacks highlight the precarious balance of security and diplomacy in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region. “No one can predict what is going to happen in the future related to the Iranian regime or America’s plan. That is why we try our best to maintain balance,” Dr. Fatah added.

Yet, Iran’s strikes are sending a clear message: avoid involvement in the broader conflict, or face consequences.

This wave of attacks is not random. According to monitoring group Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT), 474 strikes have hit the Kurdistan Region since late February, killing 14 and wounding 93. Around 90 have targeted Sulaimani alone, many hitting Peshmerga forces linked to the PUK. Experts argue that Iran aims to broaden the conflict’s focus, forcing regional countries to respond while diverting U.S. attention from its operations against Tehran.

The stakes are high. Drone strikes have even reached central Sulaimani, near residential areas and international hotels. While the PUK stresses neutrality, uncertainty surrounds the region’s future. “No one can predict what is going to happen with the Iranian regime or America’s plan,” Dr. Fatah said. “That is why we work hard to maintain balance.”

For the people of Sulaimani, the explosions are a chilling reminder: the Kurdistan Region, long considered a safe haven, is now in the crosshairs of a regional war whose outcomes are unpredictable—and deadly.

Sulaimani has historically avoided the worst of regional conflicts. But now, Peshmerga fighters, lacking advanced air defenses, have been forced to fire back with small arms, while drones and missiles target bases and even areas near residential neighborhoods. Three fighters were wounded in one attack, and dozens of strikes have continued in the following weeks.

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), which controls the city, insists it wants no part in this conflict. “We do not want the Kurdistan Region, its skies or its land, to be used as a threat in this war,” said Dr. Omed Fatah of the PUK’s Strategic Research Center.

But analysts say Iran is sending a clear message: stay neutral—or face consequences. By hitting PUK-linked sites, Tehran aims to broaden the focus of the war, pressure regional players, and divert U.S. attention from its operations in Iran.

Since late February, monitoring groups report 474 attacks across the Kurdistan Region, leaving 14 dead and 93 wounded. Sulaimani, once considered safe, is now part of the frontline—highlighting the fragile balance the PUK must maintain to survive in a conflict that no one can predict.

For Sulaimani’s residents, the message is clear: nowhere is immune, and the threat could escalate at any moment.

#Iran #Iraq #Kurdistan #Sulaimani #PUK #Peshmerga #MiddleEastConflict #Airstrikes #RegionalTensions

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