Link to Article: https://apnews.com/article/iran-iraq-kurdish-separatists-pak-attack-c04c8c65d4e2241476ed210cf7134327
An Iranian Kurdish separatist group in Iraq said that it has launched attacks on Iran’s parliamentary Revolutionary Guard in retaliation for Tehran’s crackdown on protesters. Members of the National Army of Kurdistan (PAK), which is the armed wing of the Kurdistan Freedom Party, have played a role in the protests through financial support and through armed operations to defend protestors when needed. Iranian media has previously accused the group of attacking security forces. Iranian activists say that more than 2,797 people were killed in the government’s crackdown on a recent wave of nationwide protests.
I am aware of the protests in Iran, but I did not know what the PAK was before this article. I am not surprised that there is a group defending the protestors. The main stakeholders are the countries of Iran and Iraq, as well as the National Army of Kurdistan. A spokesperson for the PAK said that the armed mobilization could endanger the Kurdish groups. Also, last year during the Israel-Iran conflict the PAK and other Kurdish groups began to organize politically. I think that the PAK will continue to aid protestors when it is needed. There is a possibility that armed operations will continue, and increase. As the Iranian media and activists are on the ground reporting, they are involved. The citizens are also involved due to the ongoing protests and rise in deaths. I believe that the citizens will continue to protest until they have their desired outcome. I am unsure if the United States will enter the country, but there is a possibility.
I do think that this will have long standing effects on the region since the protests are aiming for the removal of the Islamic Regime. There will be shifts of power within the country as the United States is threatening to intervene. If the regime does get overthrown, there will be a new person or group who will try to gain leadership. This could be someone from the PAK. Since the PAK is aiming for Kurdish independence, this connects to the entire region. If other Kurdish national groups join forces with the PAK, then they could look for a place to settle near Iran.
This article connects to the IB Global Politics themes of Peace and Conflict and Rights and Justice. It also connects to the core concepts of power and legitimacy. The protests in Iran have turned violent, and the country is not close to reaching peace. Based on the state of the country for the past 47 years, I do not think that it will reach positive peace for a very long time. Human rights in Iran are being violated by the government. The citizens are mobilizing in protest, but are not able to do that freely. With the concept of power, Iran is using its power over its citizens, and the PAK is trying to give the citizens more power through financial support and other operations. Lastly, as Iran’s economy has collapsed, its legitimacy is shrinking.