Iran curries favors with Kurds, amid tension with US

Ali Rajab

The Iranian regime works to improve its relations with non-Farsi members of the Iranian society, with a full-fledged war preparing to open between Tehran and the United States.

According to some reports, the government of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has started secret negotiations with Kurdish parties and factions in Kurdistan. The negotiations, the reports said, took place in Oslo, Norway.

The negotiations opened the door for four major Kurdish parties, according to some Kurdish opposition figures.

These negotiations coincide with the 30th anniversary of the assassination of leading Kurdish activist, Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou. Ghassemlou was killed on July 13 by Iranian intelligence agents in Austria.

Minorities, including 6 million Kurds, go through heavy oppression in Iran. The Iranian regime has always opposed demands by the Kurds for recognizing their cultural identity.

Tensions surged between Iran and the US after the withdrawal of the latter from the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. The US practices pressures on Iran to induce it to change its destabilizing policies in the region.

The eruption of war between the US and Iran will have serious ramifications for the Kurds, observers said.

The US has been sympathetic with the Kurds, having offered them political support on many occasions. Washington also offered them military support.

The US backed the formation of the Kurdistan region in Iraq during the first Gulf War. It now offers financial and military support to the Kurds of Syria. This support causes fear to Iran which is afraid that the Kurds will turn into a pressure card in Washington’s hands.

The Kurds of Iran have grand aspirations. They also have a strong network of relations with different regional players. These aspirations range between independence and the formation of an autonomous region.

David Pollock, a fellow at the Washington Institute, does not rule out the possibility that the Kurds would collaborate with the United States against Iran.

He said the Kurds have limited options that include Turkey and the Assad region which is strongly backed by Iran.

Pollock expected the Kurds to prefer an alliance with the United States.