Tehran accuses Kurdish dissidents of espionage and warns of growing security risks along its western border
ERBIL, April 9 — Iran has urged authorities in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region to expel Kurdish opposition groups operating from its territory, intensifying pressure amid rising regional tensions linked to the ongoing conflict involving Tehran.
In a statement issued by Iran’s consulate in Erbil, officials called on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to “review the destructive presence” of what it described as armed groups engaged in hostile activities against Iran.
The statement accused these groups of espionage and collaboration with the United States and Israel, saying “now is the right time” for authorities to expel them and “cleanse” the region of their presence.
Iranian officials further argued that the groups are not ordinary refugees but armed factions that have allegedly threatened Iranian territory through cross-border activity and unrest.
The issue has gained urgency amid reports of heightened regional conflict, with Western media suggesting possible covert efforts to support Kurdish opposition forces against Tehran — claims that both Kurdish groups and the KRG have repeatedly denied.
Kurdish opposition factions based in northern Iraq have also rejected accusations of launching incursions into Iran, despite earlier allegations that they sought to exploit the broader conflict to intensify pressure on the Iranian government.
The dispute underscores a longstanding source of friction between Tehran and Erbil. Iran has frequently accused Kurdish armed groups of using Iraqi territory as a base for attacks, while the KRG has maintained that it does not allow its territory to be used to threaten neighboring countries.
The tensions have been compounded by a series of strikes targeting opposition group bases inside the Kurdistan Region, which Tehran has justified as defensive measures against perceived security threats.
Analysts say the latest statement signals Iran’s attempt to increase diplomatic and political pressure on Kurdish authorities at a time when the region is already navigating complex internal and external challenges.
The situation highlights the fragile balance facing the Kurdistan Region, caught between maintaining relations with neighboring Iran, managing internal security concerns, and avoiding entanglement in broader regional conflicts.
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