Iran deploys heavy weaponry to Kurdish regions amid fears of renewed conflict with Israel, US

Iran has moved heavy artillery and military equipment to Kurdish provinces straddling its border with Iraq, heightening tensions and raising fears of conflict with Israel and the United States. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been particularly aggressive in its operations against Kurdish opposition groups such as the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), Komala, and Khabat.

These groups, along with PJAK, comprise an Iranian Kurdish opposition coalition that Tehran has been actively targeting. Recent clashes have been reported in the Shaho Mountains and other areas near the Iraqi border, where millions of Kurds live. Iran has demanded that Iraq expel Iranian Kurdish opposition groups, a demand reportedly agreed to by Baghdad.

Iran views these Kurdish opposition groups as a potential threat to regional stability and has sought to preempt any uprising by extending hostilities into neighboring Iraq, where it maintains significant influence. The situation is further complicated by the possibility of renewed military operations from Israel and the US, prompting Iran to take additional precautions.