Iranian Kurdish opposition groups face intensified attacks as US-Israel strikes spark regional tension

Iranian Kurdish opposition parties operating from Iraq and Iran have come under heavy Iranian drone and missile fire since the US-Israel strikes on Iran began, while they weigh involvement in a push to topple Tehran.

The US-Israel campaign against Iran that started on February 28 has pushed Iranian Kurdish opposition parties, whose bases lie in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region and in Iran, onto the front lines of the conflict. Five groups created the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan on February 22, 2026, and since then Iranian drones and missiles have repeatedly struck their positions in northern Iraq, killing at least 13 Komala fighters, according to party political bureau member Kako Alyar.

While US President Donald Trump has vacillated on supplying Kurdish forces, reports suggest US intelligence may be coordinating with some fighters, though the parties receive no overt military aid from the United States, Europe or Arab states. Leaders like Rebaz Sharifi of the Kurdistan Freedom Party of Iran stress that heavy Iranian deployments and the risk of massive casualties make any large-scale incursion into Iran’s Kurdish areas unlikely, and they prioritize the security of the Kurdistan Region.

The Kurdistan Regional Government has asked the groups to limit activities that could provoke Tehran, as Iraq seeks to avoid becoming a launchpad for attacks. Analysts warn that the lack of external backing and Iran’s regional influence leave the Kurdish parties in a precarious position, uncertain whether the war will evolve into a regime-change effort.