US sanctions limit Iran’s reach, but at what cost to Kurdish opposition?
Mustafa Mawludi is the head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (PDK-Iran). It is one of the major Kurdish parties that has been opposed to the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran for decades. During an interview at a joint cooperation center in Koya on July 14, Mawludi details how US sanctions on Iran have negatively impacted the livelihoods of people, particular those living in Iran’s western provinces.
“We think US economic sanctions on the Iranian government have had an effect on all aspects of life in Iran and Rojhelat in terms of medicines, food, livelihood, and devalued Iranian currency. This has made peoples’ lives difficult and created big problems for them,” he says.
The opposition parties maintain outreach through the diaspora who relay messages to governments and authorities opposed to the Trump-described “malign influence” of the Iranian regime in the Middle East.
“Six months ago, Iran was boasting about its role in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. Iran has now given up on this at least in its rhetoric. We think if these [sanctions] continue so Iran accepts negotiations with the US or responds to US demands, this is a strong possibility.” the Kurdish leader says.
Mawludi was born in 1959 in Mahabad, a Kurdish city in Iran. He has been a Peshmerga since 1980 and became the secretary general of PDKI-Iran in January 2017. Mawludi holds a law degree. The PDK-Iran and the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) that was founded by Qazi Mohammed in 1945 in Mahabad splintered in 2006 primarily over leadership disputes.
They along and other armed parties are banned in Iran, so have sought shelter in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region where they are effectively exiled. The joint center in Koya was attacked by Iranian missiles in September 2018, killing 17 high-level Kurdish opposition leaders and wounding at least 46 people.
The opposition parties are mindful of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Iraqi federal government’s stance that no groups should use their soil to take up arms against neighboring countries.
“We understand the political relations that exist between the Iraqi and Iranian government. We also understand the political situation in the Kurdistan Region. All parties, especially the Democratic Party of Kurdistan, consider the political situation of the Kurdistan Region,” Mawludi explains.
Last week, Iran used drones to conduct airstrikes on PDKI targets in eastern areas of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, killing an 18-year-old woman and wounding two of her brothers. It was described as a retaliatory attack by Iran for the killing of three Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members.
“[T]he Democratic Party of Kurdistan had no involvement in the murder of the Guard who was a senior officer of the IRGC. The people did it,” Mawludi says.
Overall, the senior Kurdish leader hopes for better coordination among parties opposed to the Iranian regime, but understands they have limited resources and capabilities while in exile.
Mawludi: Political parties of east Kurdistan [Iran] are in an unsuitable situation because the political situation in Iran is such that they cannot publicly and legally engage in political activities in the country. That is why they strive in diaspora, on the borders and Kurdistan Region. And this is not a welcome situation for political parties. It is bad.
What is different now in comparison with the past two years in the struggle with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the missile strikes in 2018 and more recently the drone strikes in Sidakan?
Mustafa Mawludi: I don’t see a big difference between now and two years ago in relations between political parties of east Kurdistan and the behavior of the Islamic Republic in terms of the political movement of the people of Kurdistan and parties of the east. In these two years, the government of the Islamic republic has been more active on the borders and carried out operations in the Kurdistan Region on the excuse of the existence of political parties of east Kurdistan like the one on September 8, 2018, when this place was hit with missiles.
Following last September’s missile attack, did you increase your activities or is there another reason why Iran has increased its attacks?
Yes we have increased our activities following last year’s missile attack, but we have increased organizational, media and diplomatic activities. We as the Democratic Party of Kurdistan haven’t carried out any special Peshmerga activity during this time. However, inside the country, there are people who have weapons and are close to political parties or fans of them, they engage in activities from time to time as reaction to the wrong and extreme behavior of Iranian authorities and the military commanders.
What happened a few days ago in Piranshahr is something like this. The man who was killed carried a weapon for the government for 40
years and was beating and hurting people for not surrendering to the government or for being close to the parties. He put pressure on Kolbars many times, ambushed and killed them. He had plotted against Kurdish political activists of all parties including the Democratic Party of Kurdistan, martyred or imprisoned them to be executed. So he was hated by the people and killed by the same people.
Yes, the Democratic Party of Kurdistan had no involvement in the murder of the Guard who was a senior officer of the IRGC, the people did it.
Focused more on the other Kurdish opposition parties ... How is your coordination with the other parties such as PDKI, PAK, and PJAK?
Four parties of east Kurdistan [PDKI, PDK-Iran, two branches of left wing Komala party] have a cooperation center among ourselves and we assist each other in different political activities and advancing the Kurdish movement. And we have relations and contact with other parties like PJAK so that we the parties of east Kurdistan can better help one another.
How much support do you think you have among people inside Rojhelat right now vs. people in Iraqi Kurdistan?
People cannot directly support us from east Kurdistan. However, they indirectly support the Democratic Party of Kurdistan in terms of
Both the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government of Iraqi have said they do not want armed groups conducting operations on their neighbors. What response do you have to them and would encourage you to stop attacks against neighboring countries?
We understand the political relations that exist between the Iraqi and Iranian government. We also understand the political situation in the Kurdistan Region. All parties, especially the Democratic Party of Kurdistan consider, the political situation of the Kurdistan Region, that is why it will not do a military operation that will hurt the interests of the Kurdistan Regional Government. And the authorities of the Kurdistan Region are aware of this policy of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan and many other parties of east Kurdistan.
Do you have any comment on the anniversary of the death of the assassination of Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou?
We respected the 30th anniversary of his martyrdom on Saturday. We remembered and respected his endeavors and stressed we should
Amid all these sanctions and talks of the nuclear deal, we have spoken with people in Rojhelat. Some have said they are unable to get medicines and treatments. Are the sanctions preventing the health of your people in Rojhelat?
We think US economic sanctions on the Iranian government have had an effect on all aspects of life in Iran and Rojhelat in terms of medicines, food, livelihood, and devalued Iranian currency. This has made peoples’ lives difficult and created big problems for them. You see hundreds or thousands of Rojhelati youth on the streets of Erbil, some with high qualification levels, making a living there. Thousands more also work as kolbars (border smugglers) secretl to make a living. This shows the sanctions and their pressure have had a big impact on the lives of Iranian people as a whole including people from Rojhelat.
If you have meetings with US, UK, or EU officials abroad, what are they telling you?
We try to meet with different political figures from Europe and America or those who can have an effect on our situation. Something else
What is [PDK-Iran's] answer to better unity among Rojhelati parties?
We think the [cooperation] center that we the four parties have formed is a good step, but not enough. That is why we should work harder to broaden this center.
Do you have a message to people and governments who want to rein in what they call malign or other influence by the Iranian regime or IRGC?
We think the Islamic Republic’s government and the IRGC have created big problems for people in Iran, the region and neighbors like Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, even for security of the region. Countries wanting to impose political and economic pressures on the Iranian government should consult the will of the people of Iran.
The Iranian government violates human rights and has made peoples’ lives difficult, putting people in jail under a variety of excuses. In this respect, they should put pressure on Iranian government to give up on these irresponsible actions and help Iranian people to change the regime and build a democratic and responsible system so that people live in peace and prosperity. And the [future] Iranian government is no longer a danger to the outside world and the region.
Have the sanctions by the US that were re-implemented in 2018 been effective or not effective enough? How would you describe the role of sanctions so far?
We think they have affected peoples’ lives and people are suffering from them. We think they have affected the Iranian government as well. Six months ago, Iran was boasting about its role in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. Iran has now given up on this at least in its rhetoric. We think if these [sanctions] continue so Iran accepts negotiations with the US or responds to US demands, this is a strong possibility.