IRGC: Kurdish forces’ entry into Iran would mean declaration of war

Iran has issued a warning to the authorities of Iraqi Kurdistan, stating that any cross-border incursion into its territory by forces affiliated with Kurdish separatist groups based in Iraqi Kurdistan would be treated as a direct act of war.

According to a report by a news channel linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Tehran would interpret such an action as the formal entry of Iraqi Kurdistan into an armed conflict and a de facto declaration of war against Iran.

The channel emphasised that the Kurdistan regional authorities would bear direct responsibility not only if they supported such operations but also if they failed to prevent them. It warned that the political, security and humanitarian consequences of any escalation would rest with the leadership in Iraqi Kurdistan.

At the same time, the report claimed that Iranian Kurds do not back calls for the “freedom and independence of Kurdistan.” Instead, it said, they seek security, peace and sustainable prosperity, and reject alliances connected to the interests of Israel and the US.

The IRGC-affiliated outlet further stressed that in the event of aggression or armed confrontation, Iranian Kurds “will defend the territorial integrity and unity of Great Iran by all means, even at the cost of their lives.”

By Tamilla Hasanova