Iraq Agrees to Expel or Hand Over Iranian Kurdish Opposition Groups, Iran Claims

Iran's ambassador to Baghdad announced on Tuesday that Iraq has agreed to either expel Iranian Kurdish opposition groups residing in the Kurdistan region or transfer them to Tehran. This assertion was made by Mohammad Al Sadegh following a meeting of the Iraq-Iran joint security committee in Baghdad on Monday. The Iraqi delegation was led by National Security Adviser Qasim Al Aboudi and included representatives from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

In a statement posted on X, Mr. Al Sadegh stated that both parties reached an agreement "to remove elements of Iranian separatist terrorist groups from the Kurdistan region of Iraq or hand them over to Iran." Neither the Iraqi government, the Kurdistan region, nor Mr. Al Aboudi immediately commented on the development. An official Iraqi summary of the meeting indicated that discussions focused on implementing the joint security agreement and addressing "outstanding files and problems" by identifying "appropriate solutions."

This apparent agreement comes shortly after the Iraqi parliament confirmed Yassir Al Maliki, son-in-law of State of Law Coalition leader and former prime minister Nouri Al Maliki, as the new Interior Minister. The security pact between Iraq and Iran, signed in March 2023, obliges Baghdad to disarm Iranian Kurdish opposition groups, relocate them from the border area, and prevent Iraqi territory from being used for attacks against Iran.

Under the agreement, groups such as the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran, Komala, the Free Life Party of Kurdistan, and the Kurdistan Freedom Party were expected to surrender their heavy weaponry and move to camps situated further from the border. Iraqi officials had previously stated that families would be resettled in five designated camps within the Kurdistan region, with the UN refugee agency processing asylum claims.

These groups, some of which have been based in northern Iraq since the 1980s following the Islamic Revolution and during the Iran-Iraq war, are advocating for enhanced rights for Iran's Kurdish minority. Tehran, however, accuses them of engaging in terrorism and inciting unrest, citing the 2022 protests that followed the death of Mahsa Amini.

Indicating increased pressure on Baghdad and Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region, regarding the presence of these groups, Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region, remarked last week: "Unfortunately, the [Iranian] Kurdish opposition forces acted in a highly irresponsible manner and placed the Kurdistan region in an extremely difficult position. An armed force cannot view the Kurdistan region as a safe haven and then operate from its territory to threaten a neighbouring country." This statement referenced reports suggesting the groups were planning to relocate into Iran with US support.

The implementation of the security agreement has been inconsistent. While Baghdad reports moving fighters from border areas and closing some headquarters, Tehran has consistently deemed these measures insufficient and has continued to conduct drone and missile strikes on opposition camps in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah provinces. The expulsion or handover of these groups to Iran, if confirmed, would signify a significant shift in Iraq's stance, raising legal and humanitarian concerns given the presence of thousands of Iranian Kurdish refugees in Iraq, primarily in the Kurdistan region. The Kurdistan Regional Government has previously opposed forced returns, advocating for a peaceful resolution that respects Iraq's constitution, which prohibits armed groups from threatening neighbours while also safeguarding refugee rights.