Iran accuses Kurdish militants from Iraq of crossing border to fuel protests

Iranian state-linked media has accused Kurdish militant groups based in northern Iraq of crossing into Iranian territory to support anti-government protests, warning that Tehran could respond with force if the situation escalates.

The Tasnim News Agency reported on Thursday that armed groups operating from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have crossed the border and established a presence in western and north-western Iran.

Tasnim claimed that these movements, combined with what it described as intensified activity by social media accounts linked to the Israeli spy agency; Mossad, statements by senior Israeli officials and the positions taken by the US president, point to “multi-level coordination” aimed at escalating unrest against the Iranian authorities.

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According to the agency, the groups have moved beyond “psychological and media warfare” to direct action on the ground, despite a security agreement between Iran and Iraq — which the Kurdistan Region is also bound by — that prohibits such activities.

The report said Iranian officials are questioning how these groups were able in a blatant breach of security commitments, to reach positions that would allow them to target military and security facilities and ammunition depots inside Iran.

Under these circumstances, Tasnim said senior Iranian officials expect the authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan to take immediate steps to prevent their territory from being used as a base for actions threatening Iran’s national security.

The agency warned that if the situation continues or worsens, Iran’s response would be “decisive and deterrent” and would go beyond routine diplomatic measures, adding that responsibility for the consequences would rest with those it accuses of supporting or facilitating what it described as “terrorist acts” undermining security.

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