Iran-linked drone attacks target Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq

A Kurdish Iranian opposition group said Iran targeted its headquarters in northern Iraq, the latest in a series of attacks on anti-Tehran factions.

The Kurdistan Freedom Party said that one of its headquarters was targeted in the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq overnight. The attack took place at 11:45 p.m., the group said. Known as PAK, the Kurdistan Freedom Party is one of several Kurdish opposition groups in Iran.

The report by PAK said that “at 23:45 tonight, a drone attack targeting the bases of the Kurdistan National Army by the Iranian regime was intercepted.” This is the latest attack in recent days on Kurdish Iranian opposition groups. The Komala group has also been targeted at least twice in the last week. The attacks come as the US is withdrawing from Iraq as part of an agreement for US-led anti-ISIS coalition troops to leave.

It also comes as a new US Inspector General report noted that Iran had targeted US diplomatic posts in Iraq since February. “Mission Iraq experienced more than 600 attacks during the reporting period. The US Consulate General in Erbil’s new consulate compound suffered damage to multiple buildings. The US Embassy in Baghdad suffered damage but to a lesser extent. The Baghdad Diplomatic Support Compound, located near Baghdad International Airport, suffered extensive damage.”

Some background is worth noting. Iranian Kurdish opposition groups have sought greater political and military coordination during 2026, as unrest inside Iran and the wider conflict involving Iran created new opportunities and new risks for parties that have opposed Tehran for decades.

On February 22, days before the US and Israeli strikes, five groups announced the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan. The founding members were the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), Organization of Iranian Kurdistan Struggle, known as Khabat, and Komala of the Toilers of Kurdistan. The Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan subsequently joined, creating a six-party alliance. The coalition said its objectives included replacing the Islamic Republic, Kurdish self-determination, and establishing democratic governance. Komala has three branches. In the end, two joined.

Iran targets Kurdish opposition groups amid regional power struggle

Iran has lashed out and struck these groups. Iran knows that there were reports that the US wanted to arm these groups. It also suspects Israel supported them with airstrikes. Over the last several years, Iran has targeted the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq, claiming Israel is active there. Iran has sought to spread the war there and create a frontline, suspecting that this is a kind of soft underbelly. While the US has power in the Gulf and other areas, Iran is seeking to push the US and partners out of the region. The Kurds are seen as partners of the US. Iran has also struck US bases and hopes the US will reduce forces, weakening Iraq, Kuwait, and other countries.

What of the Kurdish Iranian opposition alliance? The alliance brought together organizations with different histories and ideological backgrounds. PDKI and the various Komala factions have operated for decades, while PAK emerged later as an armed Kurdish nationalist organization. PJAK, which has links to the broader movement associated with the PKK, maintains forces in mountainous areas along the Iran-Iraq frontier. The groups had already increased coordination during anti-government protests in January, when seven Kurdish parties backed a general strike across Kurdish areas of Iran.

Kurdish opposition groups face wave of Iranian attacks

Iran has responded by increasing attacks on the groups, particularly those with camps in the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Iranian missiles and drones have repeatedly targeted facilities associated with PDKI, Komala, PAK, and other opposition organizations. According to a UK government review citing reporting from the region, almost 700 Iranian and Iran-linked missile and drone attacks targeted Iraqi Kurdistan between February 28 and mid-April, including around 170 strikes directed specifically at Iranian Kurdish opposition parties. It is now believed there have been 1,000 attacks.

Iran renewed strikes against Komala facilities near Erbil in July and August, and now in early September. The attack on PAK illustrates how Iran intends to keep up its attacks. This comes as Iranian-backed militias in Iraq refuse to disarm and also target Saudi Arabia.