Iraqi Kurds suggest peace process between Iran and Iranian Kurdish opposition

Members of the Iranian Kurdish opposition Komala party and their relatives were in attendance at the funeral of nine Peshmerga fighters in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, on July 19, 2026. Iraqi Kurdish politicians have been discussing ending their conflict with Iranian Kurdish opposition parties to prevent further attacks in the Kurdish autonomous region, according to Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Bafel Talabani.

This idea is surprising to the Iranian Kurdish groups who oppose the Islamic Republic and have been in opposition to it for years. The proposal has been discussed with Iranian officials in Tehran, but Iranian officials have not mentioned a peace process in their response. Iranian Kurdish parties have been unaware of any talks with Iran.

The Komala Party and other Kurdish opposition parties have not rejected dialogue or negotiations, but they consider dialogue as one of the methods of political struggle. They are cautious about establishing conditions for dialogue with a regime that has a history of violating Kurdish rights, militarizing Kurdistan, and executing thousands of young Kurds.