In the north-west of Iran in the region of Urmia the risk of inter-ethnic conflicts increases

Although recent to failure, plans to use Kurdish fighters in an alleged ground operation against Iran at all were not thrown into the archive. At least, that’s what follows in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq “Habat” (struggle) recently given by the leader of the nationalist organization Babasheikh Hosseini from the interview։

According to him, despite the fact that no action is being taken at the moment, the Americans are getting in touch and are considering the possibility of conducting a campaign as before.: “We have been preparing for a long time, and now that the conditions have become more favorable, there is a high probability that we will start operating,” Hosseini boasted, adding: We still have to make a final decision, but it is very likely that we will start a ground operation.”

The group that he led, which initially spoke under religious-nationalist slogans, became the so-called “Coalition of Iranian Kurdistan Political Forces” (IQQQ), which is designed to bring together various parties and groups on a broad basis that have diametrically opposed approaches on a number of key issues, including the attitude to the US-Israeli aggression, during which the Kurds are planned to be used as “combat infantry” and coin, about what in detail tells Fehim Tashtekin, a famous French journalist, originally from Turkey.

According to him, any escalation of the conflict can cause a wide regional conflict, and “if the Kurdish forces get involved in the war against Iran, it can become a suicide mission for them.”

The White House continues to press hard, demanding active actions from the Kurdish forces in the west of Iran. It is known that Trump personally called the Kurdish leaders, offering air support and autonomy, which, let’s face it, seems quite extravagant in the context of the recent handover of the Kurdish “andreprat” to Damascus and Ankara.

Considering these and earlier examples, is it worth wondering about the lack of unity in the Kurdish environment towards the “tempting” proposals of the White House, which are fraught with another disaster for both the Kurds and all their neighbors without exception?

Some seem willing to cross the line with the caveat that without a “no-fly zone” as was done in Iraq after 1991, and which Trump does not provide, any attack would become a “mission of executions.” The Sulaymaniyah region is known to be controlled by Jelyal Talabani’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, which has long maintained close ties with Iran due to its close geographical proximity.

This was announced by the head of the Kurdish autonomy of Iraq, Jellal Talabani. Talabani in an interview with Fox News 6 on March 6 confirmed that the Kurds do not intend to intervene in the war.

According to him, “Kurdistan should be a bridge, not a battlefield,” adding that being in a unique position, the Kurds will be able to play their role in de-escalation when the time comes. Erbil also hastened to deny reports that the armed groups located in the territory of the Kurdish Autonomous Region are preparing to carry out attacks in the direction of Iran.

In turn, on March 7, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced “strikes on three positions of separatist groups in the Iraqi region (Kurdistan).” If separatist groups in the region take any action against Iran’s territorial integrity, we will defeat them.”

Baghdad, Ankara and everywhere in the region are watching the events with alarm, fearing the increased activity of Kurdish militias in the border areas, the risks of inter-ethnic tensions and the outflow of refugees from Iran in all possible directions.։

The Iraqi Prime Minister warned on March 6 that Baghdad will not allow its territory to be used for the expansion of the conflict. In Turkey, which is strengthening the 534-kilometer border with Iran, attention is being paid to the participation of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which originated in Iran in the late 1990s and is banned in Turkey.

In recent years, PJAK militants have not been able to organize a long-term insurgent movement in the west of Iran, having regularly launched attacks from bases located in the north of Iraq. After 2011, they mostly stopped their activity, but the situation may change dramatically.

Bravely aware of the inevitability of large-scale regional destabilization, Erdogan’s government has sought to end the perennial conflict in the country’s southeast over the past few years, with some success there.

PKK militants have announced self-disbandment and disarmament as part of ongoing peace talks between Ankara and Turkey’s Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been serving a life sentence in a Turkish prison since 1999. And the appearance of a new “no front line” in Iran can complicate the already fragile process of disarmament, providing a new battlefield for the radicals who do not lay down their weapons.

“It’s the worst possible idea,” Ben Rhodes, former deputy national security adviser to Barack Obama, said on the Pod Save the World podcast on March 4, commenting on reports of plans to arm Kurdish groups.

“We see how Kurdish groups with different views are uniting, creating alliances and making joint statements. We are watching them carefully.  We analyze to what extent they will fight against the regime, to what extent against other ethnic groups, where they are, what is their goal. We are following and analyzing all this,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, former long-time head of intelligence, announced on March 1.

There is clearly a hint of the risk of inter-ethnic conflicts in the northwestern provinces of Iran with a mixed Turkish-Kurdish population.

In and around cities such as Urmia (the administrative center of western Azerbaijan, which was also bombed), the majority of the population is Turkic (Azerbaijani). The spread of armed conflicts increases the risks of civil war between different ethnic groups within Iran.։

In recent years, inter-communal tensions have surfaced in the form of mass gatherings and demonstrations on both sides, such as this one happened During the celebration of Navruz in 2025. The slogans “Urmia belongs to the Turks and will remain Turkish” provoked the indignation of Kurdish activists.

The situation in the city is also troubled these days․ representatives of both sides went out into the street. The disintegration of the central authority would ultimately lead to the inflaming of the camps, significantly increasing the risks of armed conflicts and the flow of refugees to the neighboring countries: Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan. presenting them with complex challenges that must be responded to in some way։

For example, calls can be found on social networks that if an “American-Kurdish” ground operation begins in Iran, the Turkish army should be withdrawn to the Urmia-Tavriz line under the pretext of protecting the “Turkish” population there.

In turn, Turkey’s opposition parties often criticize the government’s migration policy, using the issue to fight the Erdogan administration. The several million refugees and displaced persons from Syria who have settled in the country have become an important factor in domestic political tensions, and a new wave of migration, now already from Iran, will clearly not add stability.

Of course, Trump and Netanyahu are not particularly concerned about such “trifles”.  Seeking to defeat their hated “Ayatollah regime” at all costs, they will continue to try to use the Kurds, Turks, Baluchis, Arabs and other minorities, turning them into pawns in their bloody game and sacrificing them when deemed necessary.։

ANDREY: ARESH:AND:

fondsk.ru

Translation by Zhanna Avetisyan

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