Leftist Kurdish parties distance themselves from Iran opposition coalition over US-Iran war

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) and the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan announced on Sunday their opposition to a recent statement by the Iran Freedom Congress, an independent UK-based civic group opposing the Islamic regime, regarding the ongoing war between Iran and the US. 

The Iran Freedom Congress (IFC), a London-based civic and political initiative, released a formal statement condemning both the Iranian government's "warmongering policies," emphasizing that “the right of the Iranian people to determine their own destiny" must be placed at the center of any political initiative, free from both domestic tyranny and "foreign military intervention.”

The KDPI issued a statement clarifying that the contents of the statement “do not represent the official position of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan and bear no relation to the Party," on the KDPI Representative Office's X account. 
 
The IFC, which presents itself as a pro-democracy and anti-regime space, attracted participation from a spectrum of Kurdish parties from Iran’s western Kurdish region, Rojhelat back in its founding in late March. Much in agreement with other Kurdish parties, the IFC views the post-Iran transition entailing “a democratic government based on human rights,” and calls on the international community to recognize Iran's civil society and democratic forces as the "main forces holding the right" to shape the country's transition, while simultaneously demanding the "immediate and unconditional release of all political and ideological prisoners" and a "stop to executions."

However, while both the IFC and KDPI have long supported their shared goals of holding Tehran responsible for its human rights violations and upholding minority rights, the IFC has been a point of contention, sparking controversy among Kurdish groups who maintain different stances and varying levels of involvement in the congress, bringing about the divide of a unified Kurdish bloc on key issues regarding the war, a post-war Iran, and the involvement of Kurds. 

While representatives of the Kurdistan Region-based Iranian opposition Komala Party and the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) joined the IFC’s central council, the KDPI, the oldest Iranian Kurdish political party, boycotted the IFC’s virtual election on May 17.

The Komala Party also weighed in to state that the IFC had previously agreed to refrain from taking specific political stances due to the diverse views within the coalition. 

"As the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, we do not approve of this Congress,” the party's central committee secretariat announced. 

Both KDPI's foreign relations committee and the Komala Party have maintained that the “official positions” of their respective parties would be “communicated and published exclusively through the party's official institutions and media channels."

Despite their unified stance in opposition to Iran’s regime, the Kurdish political parties and the IFC differ in their alignments toward the best framework to actualize their shared goals. 

The Congress rejects what it described as a “false dichotomy” between opposition to domestic tyranny and support of foreign military intervention and aggression, holding Tehran responsible for escalating regional crises and violating human rights, calling for the "immediate end of the war," whereas some Kurdish parties have remained divided over their support for armed opposition, federalism, and Iran’s territorial integrity 

The KDPI's statement comes amid ongoing friction between Kurdish groups and Washington. 

In April, US President Donald Trump expressed disappointment with the Kurds, accusing them of withholding weapons that Washington intended to send to anti-government protesters inside Iran.

Kurdish leadership and opposition groups have categorically denied those allegations with Senior KDPI official Mohammed Nazif Qaderi previously telling Rudaw that the claims were baseless.

“Our policy is not to make demonstrations violent and use harsh methods, rather we believe we must make our demands in a peaceful and civil manner without weapons,” Qaderi said in April.

Tensions have remained high since a US-Israel military campaign against Iran began on February 28. The Kurdistan Region has frequently been caught in the crossfire, with drones and missiles targeting the region since the conflict began, including strikes on the headquarters of Iranian Kurdish opposition parties.