Kurdish Policy Analysis

SMOKE RISES from the site of a drone crash on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq, March 12, 2026.  (photo credit:   REUTERS/KHALID AL-MOUSILY )   Iran‑Backed Militias Escalate Strikes on Iraq’s Kurdistan, Raising Regional Tensions ERBIL, Iraq Kurdish Policy Analysis  — Iran‑aligned militia forces have launched over 450 attacks on the autonomous Kurdistan Region since the outbreak of the Iran war, using drones and rockets in a sustained campaign that has killed at least 14 people and wounded dozens more, local media and officials said on Thursday. The strikes, occurring almost daily, have hit military and civilian infrastructure, including hotels, urban neighborhoods, and diplomatic sites, as well as U.S. facilities and forces stationed in northern Iraq’s Erbil. Local Kurdish and Iraqi sources report residential areas have also been struck, highlighting the expanding geographic and tactical scope of the campaign. Tehran’s use of Iraqi militia proxies, some formally int...

Kurdistan tried to stay neutral. Now it’s under missile attack ERBIL, Kurdistan Region, March 24  — Six Iranian ballistic missile strike on a Peshmerga base in Erbil province killed six fighters and wounded 30 others early Tuesday, according to the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga Ministry, marking a dangerous escalation after days of drone and missile attacks. In an official statement , the ministry said the casualties resulted from “Iranian ballistic missiles” striking its Area Command One headquarters in the Soran administration of Erbil province. Six Kurdistan  Regional Government  Peshmerga  were killed early on Tuesday when missiles targeted their base. The missiles were likely fired by Iran or Iranian proxies in Iraq. Iran has a network of  Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.  These groups nominally come under government control as paramilitaries of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). They are also called Hashd al-Sha’abi. Iran and its  proxies ...