Peshmerga visit Iran’s Kurdish areas for Newroz

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Armed Peshmerga fighters from the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) joined Newroz celebrations in various Kurdish  areas in western Iran, according to social media posts and statements from the KDPI.

Video footage shared to the KDPI’s official Twitter account showed several Peshmerga fighters armed with AK-47s joining Newroz celebrations in the city of Baneh in Iran’s Kurdistan province and Oshnavieh in West Azerbaijan Province. The videos had gone viral on social media over the weekend.

KDPI Peshmerga “celebrated Newroz united, especially in Oshnavieh, Ilam, Baneh and Niyar village,” read a statement released to the KDPI’s website.   

The KDPI is a Kurdish party which has waged an on-and-off armed war against the Iranian government since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. It is based in the Kurdistan Region – with Iran shelling areas in the Kurdistan Region on the pretense of targeting the group.

It is not the first time its forces have crossed the border. 

In 2018, KDPI Peshmerga forces entered Oshnavieh and held several activities in the town, including meeting locals. 

While there has been no official reaction from the Iranian government, Kurdistan Province's top security official said that visitors to the province must leave due to the rise in coronavirus cases. 

“Based on the announcement from the national corona task force, those who have travelled to orange cities including Saqez and Baneh must leave these cities within 72 hours, otherwise they will be dealt with according to the law,” said Mohammad Ebrahim Zarei the deputy governor of Kurdistan province for political, social and security issues in an interview with the semi-official Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) on Monday.

Iran was divided into colour-coded areas as it was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic last year. The country is divided into white, orange, and red areas based on the number of infections and deaths. 

In an interview with Rudaw’s Jaafar Mubasher in December, KDPI leader Mustafa Hijri said that they work for the “Kurdish people in Rojhelat”, referring to Iran’s Kurdish areas. 

“Rasan will continue with its activities and I hope we get better opportunities to enrich our efforts in all different aspects,” Hijri said, referring to Rasan – a project to increase the KDPI's political and military presence in Iranian Kurdistan.