@AbdullahMohtadi is, as always, thoughtful and articulate in his answers, including in this interview with @bbcpersian. I do, however, have some criticism of the interviewer, @BBCParham.
What I find striking is that the focus is on why Komala’s #Peshmerga are armed, rather than on the Iranian regime’s missile attack that killed nine young Peshmerga. Unfortunately, I think the interviewer reflects a mindset that many Iranians still have.
But Mr. Mohtadi’s answer is simple: the Peshmerga are armed for self-defense. Diplomacy has always been the preferred path, and the Kurdish movement has never closed the door to dialogue. But history has shown why the Peshmerga still exist. Time and again, the Iranian regime has responded to dialogue with violence. The assassination of Dr. Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou during peace negotiations in 1989 remains one of the clearest examples.
At the same time, it is important to remember that the Kurdish opposition did not start this war. That is what makes the situation so ironic. This is presented as a war between #Iran and the United States, yet it is Kurdish opposition groups that have repeatedly been targeted by the Iranian regime while also being expected to answer these kinds of questions.
To me, the real question is not why the Peshmerga are armed. The real question is why the Iranian regime continues to target Kurdish opposition groups, committing violations of international law and alleged war crimes, even during what is presented as a war between Iran and the #US, endangering civilians and people across the whole region.
Sroosh Nasri, one of Komala’s #Peshmerga who was martyred today, shared these words in his final Instagram post:
“Even if I have to sacrifice my life, I will never abandon my cause.”
25. June 2026
#Komala#Kurdistan
فوری
#عبدالله_مهتدی دبیرکل حزب #کومله_کردستان_ایران طی پیامی رسمی ضمن محکومیت شدید حملات #سپاه_پاسداران به مقرهای این حزب، اعلام داشت «جنایات سنگین جمهوری اسلامی بی پاسخ نخواهد ماند». این واکنش یکی از شدیدترین واکنشهای رهبران کرد در خصوص حملات جمهوری اسلامی طی ماههای گذشته به احزاب کردستانی بوده است.
گفتگویم با پرهام قبادی در برنامه ۶۰ دقیقه کانال بیبیسی فارسی پیرامون حملات موشکی سپاه پاسداران به اردوگاههای کومهله. بیان نظرم در باره کردها و مبارزه مسلحانه، تغییر بزرگ در مناسبات مردم و حاکمیت پس از کشتارهای دیماه، نقش رژیم در کشاندن ایران به جنگ، و اهمیت حیاتی تغییر نظام برای رسیدن به صلح، آزادی و رفاه در ایران.
اطلاعیه حزب کومهله کردستان ایران درباره موشکباران اخیر و جانباختن شماری از همسنگرانمان
با اندوه و تأسف عمیق به آگاهی مردم مبارز کردستان و سراسر ایران میرسانیم که ساعت ۶ بامداد امروز، ۲۶ تیرماه ۱۴۰۵ خورشیدی، برابر با ۱۷ژوئیه ۲۰۲۶ میلادی، جمهوری اسلامی بار دیگر با شلیک چندین فروند موشک، مقرها و اردوگاههای حزب کومهله کردستان ایران را هدف حمله قرار داد.
در پی این حملات سنگین و گسترده، متأسفانه ۹ تن از داوطلبان پیوستن به صفوف پیشمرگان کومهله در اردوگاه «زرگویزله» جان خود را در راه آرمانهای آزادیخواهانه کومهله و مردم کردستان فدا کردند. همچنین سه تن دیگر از همسنگرانمان زخمی شدهاند که وضعیت جسمانی دو تن از آنان ناپایدار است.
اسامی ۹ جانباخته قهرمان به این شرح است: فرهاد قمری (اهل دیواندره)، سروش نصری (اهل مریوان)، سینا سفری (اهل شاهآباد)، یاسین کیانپور (اهل شازند)، احمد محمودی (اهل بانه) و چهار تن دیگر به نامهای رضا صادقی، کسری رحماننژاد، سیاوان نیکیخواه و زکریا فقیه حسنآقا (اهل بوکان).
از آغاز جنگ ۳۹روزه تاکنون، مقرها و اردوگاههای کومهله بیش از ۴۰ بار و با استفاده از صدها پهپاد و موشک هدف حمله قرار گرفتهاند. سران جمهوری اسلامی میپندارند که با توسل به موشک، پهپاد، سرکوب و کشتار میتوانند اراده مبارزاتی ما را درهم بشکنند و صفوف جنبش آزادیخواهانه مردم کردستان را متزلزل سازند. اما آنکه امروز سرشکسته، درمانده و در آستانه فروپاشی قرار دارد، خود جمهوری اسلامی است. بیگمان این رژیم جنایتکار واپسین نفسهای خود را میکشد و هیچیک از این جنایات نمیتواند سرنوشت محتوم آن را تغییر دهد.
کمیته مرکزی حزب کومهله کردستان ایران، ضمن تسلیت صمیمانه به خانوادههای سرافراز جانباختگان راه آزادی و دفاع از حقوق مردم کُرد، و آرزوی بهبودی برای همسنگران زخمی، تداوم حملات بیدلیل و تجاوزکارانه جمهوری اسلامی و بهویژه این جنایت فجیع و آشکار را بهشدت محکوم میکند. ما همچنین با تمامی مردم کردستان، بهویژه مردم مبارز و سرافراز شهرهای بوکان، دیواندره، شاهآباد، مریوان، شازند و بانه، ابراز همدردی و همبستگی میکنیم.
در پایان یادآور میشویم خون پاک این جانباختگان هرگز پایمال نخواهد شد. چنین حملات و جنایاتی نهتنها خللی در اراده ما برای ادامه مبارزه ایجاد نخواهد کرد، بلکه ما و مردم مبارز کردستان را در پیگیری اهداف آزادیخواهانه و عدالتطلبانهمان مصممتر و استوارتر خواهد ساخت. دیری نخواهد پایید که رژیم سفاک و تروریست جمهوری اسلامی ناگزیر میشود تاوان تمامی خونهای بهناحقریختهشده و دههها سرکوب، کشتار و جنایت علیه مردم کردستان و سراسر ایران را بپردازد.
یاد جانباختگان گرامی و راهشان پررهرو باد.
حزب کومهله کردستان ایران
دبیرخانه کمیته مرکزی
۲۶ تیرماه ۱۴۰۵
۱۷ ژوئیه ۲۰۲۶
https://t.co/743xot9X8t
Statement by the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan on the Recent Missile Attack and the Loss of Several of Our Comrades
It is with profound grief and sorrow that we inform the struggling people of Kurdistan and across Iran that, at 6:00 a.m. today, 17 July 2026, the Islamic Republic once again targeted the bases of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan with several missiles.
As a result of these heavy and extensive attacks, nine Peshmerga recruits who were preparing to join the ranks of Komala’s Peshmerga forces at the Zargwezila Camp tragically lost their lives in pursuit of the ideals of freedom upheld by Komala and the people of Kurdistan. Three other comrades were wounded, two of whom remain in critical condition.
The names of the nine fallen comrades are as follows:
Farhad Qamari, from Divandarreh;
Soroush Nasri, from Marivan;
Sina Safari, from Shabad (Eslamabad-e Gharb);
Yasin Kianpour, from Shazand;
Ahmad Mahmoudi, from Baneh;
Reza Sadeghi, from Bukan;
Kasra Rahmannejad, from Bukan;
Siavan Nikikhah, from Bukan;
Zakaria Faqih Hassan-Agha, from Bukan.
Since the beginning of the 39-day war, Komala’s Camps and bases have been targeted in more than 40 attacks involving hundreds of missiles and drones. The leaders of the Islamic Republic believe that, by resorting to missiles, drones, repression, and violence, they can break our determination to continue the struggle and weaken the ranks of the Kurdish freedom movement.
Yet it is the Islamic Republic itself that today stands humiliated, desperate, and on the verge of collapse. There can be no doubt that this criminal regime is drawing its final breaths, and none of these crimes can alter its inevitable fate.
The Central Committee of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan extends its heartfelt condolences to the proud families of those who gave their lives in the struggle for freedom and in defence of the rights of the Kurdish people, and wishes a swift recovery to our wounded comrades. We strongly condemn the Islamic Republic’s continued, unjustified, and aggressive attacks, and this heinous and flagrant crime in particular.
We also express our sympathy and solidarity with all the people of Kurdistan, especially the courageous and steadfast people of Bukan, Divandarreh, Shahabad, Marivan, Shazand, and Baneh.
In conclusion, we reiterate that the blood of these fallen comrades will never have been shed in vain. Such attacks and crimes will not weaken our determination to continue the struggle. On the contrary, they will make us and the struggling people of Kurdistan even more resolute and steadfast in pursuing our goals of freedom and social justice.
The day is not far off when the brutal and terrorist regime of the Islamic Republic will be held accountable for every innocent life it has taken and for decades of repression, killings, and crimes against the people of Kurdistan and the peoples of Iran.
May the memory of the fallen comrades live on, and may many continue along their path.
Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan
Secretariat of the Central Committee
17 July 2026
#KomalaParty
#IranWar
https://t.co/eiIHyepDa8
جنایت سنگینجمهوری اسلامی بیپاسخ نخواهد ماند
بامداد امروز یکی از اردوگاەهای کومهله واقع در منطقه زرگویز در اقلیم کردستان عراق مورد حملات شدید و سنگین موشکی سپاه پاسداران تروریستی رژیم جمهوری اسلامی قرار گرفت. در این حملات جنایتکارانه متأسفانه نه تن از پیشمرگان جانشان را از دست دادند و شماری هم زخمی شدند.
ضمن ادای احترام و تکریم به این عزیزان جانباخته و آرزوی بهبود سریع برای همسنگران زخمیمان، این اقدام جنایتکارانه را به شدیدترین وجه محکوم میکنم، همچنین به خانوادههای گرامی این جانباختگان، به دوستان و همرزمان این جوانان مبارز و فداکار، به مردم کردستان و همه مبارزان راه آزادی در ایران تسلیت میگویم، و به عاملان این جنایت هم اخطار میکنم که روز پایان شما نزدیک است و شما نخواهید توانست از انتقام مردم و از دست عدالت بگریزید و سخت تنبیه خواهید شد. حزب کومهله کردستان ایران مصممتر از همیشە در صف مقدم مبارزه برای سرنگونی نظام فاسد و ننگین و جنگافروز جمهوری اسلامی باقی خواهند ماند و بدون ذرهای تردید و تزلزل به وظائف خود عمل خواهد کرد.
#IRGCTerrorists
My piece in the @dcexaminer ⬇️ on the latest from Iran and the Gulf. The regime is proving that any agreement with it must be ironclad, enforceable and verifiable. We support @POTUS and the United States. @WhiteHouse, @StateDept, @DeptofWar, #Komala
https://t.co/l6goti5OTG
It is with great sadness that I learned of the passing of @LindseyGrahamSC. Senator Graham was a great champion of freedom and a steadfast friend of the Kurdish people and a courageous advocate for their rights. We will always remain grateful for his friendship, support, and unwavering commitment.
Senator Graham understood that lasting change in Iran and the region requires a fundamental change in Tehran and consistently stood with those seeking freedom, democracy, and justice.
Throughout his distinguished public service, he used his voice to defend the oppressed and to give voice to those who were too often silenced. His courage, principles, and dedication to freedom will leave a lasting legacy.
He will be deeply missed. May his memory be a blessing.
My talk at the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Dutch Parliament on 6 July, calling on Europeans to condemn the Iranian regime’s heinous crimes against their citizens, and to support the Kurdish people and all Iranians in their fight for freedom.
@2eKamertweets@BuZaTweedekamer@jesseklaver@KatiPiri
Honourable members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Dutch House of Representatives, Dear Mr Jesse Klaver, Dear Ms Cati Piri,
Honourable members of the Dutch Parliament,
Ladies and gentlemen,
First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the invitation to appear before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Dutch Parliament. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to address the Committee, and I am pleased and honoured to be here today.
The war between the United States and Israel with Iran has, for months, placed Iran at the centre of global attention—from the media and think tanks to parliaments and governments. Given the scale of the conflict and its impact, that is only natural.
But we should not forget what has come before and what has even been the greater cause of suffering, death and destruction during long, dark years of the ruling regime in Iran.
Back in January, the regime carried out a brutal crackdown and mass killing of protesters who had taken to the streets to protest worsening economic conditions, corruption, and authoritarian rule. Thousands—and probably tens of thousands—were killed by security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Three years earlier we had the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, during which Kurdistan emerged as the leading force behind the broadest and most enduring movement for political change in Iran. That peaceful movement was also brutally crushed and drowned in blood.
The point is: however impactful the current war is, and however significant its domestic and regional consequences may be, it is not, and has not been, the singledefining conflict in Iran. For years, Iranian society has been locked in a relentless struggle for change—for basic rights, freedom, human dignity, and the chance to live in peace—against a ruthless, corrupt, and adventurous regime.
Take Kurdistan as one example. The violent repression of the Kurdish people began just five weeks after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, when government forces unleashed waves of gunfire on the protesting city of Sananday. A few months later, without any justification, Khomeini declared a jihad against the people of Kurdistan, denouncing them as infidels and launching a war of repression that has now continued for nearly five decades.
In short, the Islamic Republic’s war against its own people—against Kurds, Baluchis, Turkmens, and Arabs; against women, labour unions, students, journalists, the Baha’i community, and many others—began years, even decades, before any foreign conflict. It began before the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, before the Iran–Iraq War, before Iran’s proxy wars across the region, and long before the recent conflict with Israel and the United States. The domestic conflict has never ceased. There has been no “Memorandum of Understanding” between the regime and the people.
That is why we urge Europe and indeed the world not to let the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom, justice, and basic human rights, as well as the Kurdish people’s legitimate struggle for freedom, be overshadowed by any disagreements with the United States or any criticism of Israel you might have.
We call on you to clearly condemn and isolate the Iranianregime for its heinous crimes, and to stand with the people of Kurdistan and all the people of Iran in their fight against ethnic, linguistic, and religious discrimination, and in their pursuit of freedom, democracy, and basic human rights. That is in the best interest of the people of Iran, the whole region and the international community.
Thank you very much.
بخشی از سخنرانی #عبدالله_مهتدی، دبیرکل حزب کومهله کُردستان ایران، در مجلس نمایندگان هلند؛ پیامی روشن به جامعه جهانی: کُردستان و ایران را فراموش نکنید!
در روزهایی که توجه جهان به هر سو کشیده میشود، صدای مردمی که برای آزادی ایستادهاند نباید گم شود. از خیابانهای کردستان و تمام ایران تا پارلمانهای اروپا، پیام «#زن_زندگی_آزادی» همچنان زنده است.
#KomalaParty
NRC: @AbdullahMohtadi , leader of the Iranian-Kurdish Komala party, addressed the dutch parliament via video link.
MP Fatihya Abdi asked him how he views Pahlavi’s statement, in which he previously called the Kurdish leader a separatist. Mohtadi denies that the Kurds are separatist: “Iran is a multi-ethnic country, with different religions and languages. We have made it clear that we are not separatists. We want a democratic Iran and are pursuing our rights within that country.”
https://t.co/UsXIVENOeX
دیروز کمیتە امور خارجی پارلمان هلند نشستی درباره ایران داشت که از چهار پانل شکل گرفته بود؛ پانل اول برای پژوهشگران، پانل دوم اتنیکهای ایران، پانل سوم برای آقای #عبدالله_مهتدی دبیرکل حزب #کومهله کوردستان ایران و پانل چهارم برای پسر دیکتاتور پیشین ایران.
ایران اینترنشنال از تمام سه ساعت برنامه پارلمان هلند، تنها پسر دیکتاتور پیشین ایران را پوشش داد.
خاک بر سرت @IranIntl
Yesterday, during the roundtable on Iran at the Dutch House of Representatives in The Hague, one member of the Dutch Parliament asked Mr. Mohtadi whether Reza Pahlavi had refused to participate in the panel because he considers him a separatist. Without mentioning #Pahlavi by name, Mohtadi responded that Iran is a multinational country and that the only solution is #federalism.
#AbdullahMohtadi #Kurds