Iran’s military has confirmed carrying out strikes on Kurdish opposition groups located in neighboring Iraq, escalating tensions in the region.
According to reports, three missiles were launched toward the headquarters of groups described by Tehran as hostile Kurdish factions operating across the border. The strike was reportedly directed at facilities linked to opposition movements that Iran accuses of encouraging unrest inside its territory.
Footage circulated by Iran’s state-backed broadcaster showed what it claimed were moments of impact at locations believed to be used by what officials described as “anti-Iranian separatists.” The clips were presented as evidence of the operation and its intended targets.
The development comes amid recent reports from the United States suggesting that American authorities had considered providing weapons to Kurdish groups as part of a strategy aimed at stirring resistance against Iran’s leadership. Those claims quickly drew attention in Washington.
Officials at the White House dismissed the reports, insisting there were no such plans in place. Even so, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged that U.S. President Donald Trump had held discussions with Kurdish leaders in the region. The talks, she said, were related to matters concerning the American military base located in northern Iraq.
The Kurdish people, estimated to number around 30 million, are spread across several countries in the Middle East, mainly Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey. For decades, many Kurdish groups have pushed for the creation of an independent state, a struggle that has often placed them at odds with governments across the region.
In Iraq, the Kurdish autonomous region took shape after the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Since then, it has operated with its own government and security forces, though tensions between Kurdish groups and neighboring countries have continued to surface from time to time.
