Kurdish separatism in Iran
In 1918, a Kurdish chieftain named Simko Shikak led an armed uprising against the Qajar dynasty of Persia. This rebellion lasted until 1922 and involved thousands of Assyrians who were massacred during the conflict. Historian Ervand Abrahamian described Simko as notorious for his violence toward democrats and other groups. The revolt lacked administrative organization and focused on plunder rather than national identity. By 1926, Simko had regained control of his tribe and launched another rebellion before fleeing to Iraq when half his troops defected. Another tribal leader, Jafar Sultan, controlled territory between Marivan and north of Halabja until 1925. He revolted again in 1929 but was crushed after four years under Persian rule. A third figure, Hama Rashid, led a tribal uprising during World War II following the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran. His first stage of revolt ran from late 1941 to April 1942, with a second phase beginning in 1944 that ended in defeat.
The Soviet Union refused to relinquish occupied northwestern Iranian territory shortly after the Second World War. In 1946, the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran established the Republic of Mahabad within a small territory including only Mahabad and its adjacent cities. This state could not incorporate southern Iranian Kurdistan because it fell inside the Anglo-American zone. When the Soviets withdrew from Iran in December 1946, government forces entered Mahabad unopposed. At least 1,000 people died during this crisis involving Qazi Muhammad and Mustafa Barzani. The failure of this attempt marked a turning point where peripheral tribal uprisings launched with KDPI support throughout 1966, 7. More than a decade later, these efforts failed to attract tribes outside Mahabad to the nationalist cause. The crisis demonstrated how external powers shaped internal conflicts while local groups struggled for autonomy.
The 1979 Kurdish rebellion became the most serious uprising against the new Iranian regime following the Islamic Revolution. Led by the KDPI and Komala, the conflict resulted in 10,000 killed and 200,000 displaced before ending in December 1982. An insurrection by the KDPI continued throughout the early and mid-1990s after its leader was assassinated in exile in July 1989. The Iranian campaign included targeted assassinations of KDPI leaders and crackdowns on support bases in Western Iran. In 1996, the KDPI announced a unilateral ceasefire and has since acted at a low profile until renewing clashes in 2015. This period saw more than 30,000 Kurds die during the 1979 rebellion and subsequent insurgency. The armed struggle ended in late 1996 when another Kurdish organization emerged by the early 2000s.
The ongoing Iran-PJAK conflict officially began from April 2004 with hundreds of Kurdish militants and Iranian forces dying in fighting. PJAK is based in the border area with Iraqi Kurdistan and affiliated with the Marxist PKK from Turkey though they tend to neglect this relation. One of the first actions of the Obama administration declared PJAK a terrorist organization. PJAK and the Iranian government agreed on a ceasefire deal following the 2011 Iranian offensive on PJAK bases. After the agreement, clashes between PJAK and the IRGC took place in 2012, and by mid-2013, fighting resumed in sporadic incidents escalating in 2016. The group's goal involves establishing Kurdish autonomy according to Habeeb, who stated they do not intend to pose any serious threat to the regime of the Islamic Republic.
In January 2014, Iranian forces killed a KDPI party member while he was disseminating leaflets. By September 2014, the KDPI engaged Iranian security for the first time in many years killing at least six Iranian soldiers. On the 7th of May 2015, ethnic Kurds rioted in Mahabad following the unexplained death of Farinaz Khosravani, a 25-year-old Kurdish hotel chambermaid. Unrest spread to other cities like Sardasht where police clashed with hundreds of protesters on the 9th of May 2015. As of the 11th of May, the death toll rose to six protesters killed according to ARA sources. In June 2015, a KDPI attack on Revolutionary Guard forces reportedly left six people dead. Military clashes began in April 2016 between PDKI and Iranian Revolutionary Guards with support from PAK and Komalah groups. In March 2023, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani signed a border security agreement with Iran to tighten the frontier though these groups have not been disarmed as agreed by the 19th of September.
Common questions
Who led the 1918 Kurdish uprising against the Qajar dynasty of Persia?
Simko Shikak led an armed uprising against the Qajar dynasty of Persia in 1918. This rebellion lasted until 1922 and involved thousands of Assyrians who were massacred during the conflict.
When did the Republic of Mahabad exist under the leadership of Qazi Muhammad?
The Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran established the Republic of Mahabad in 1946 within a small territory including only Mahabad and its adjacent cities. Government forces entered Mahabad unopposed when the Soviets withdrew from Iran in December 1946.
How many people died during the 1979 Kurdish rebellion against the new Iranian regime?
More than 30,000 Kurds died during the 1979 rebellion and subsequent insurgency. The conflict resulted in 10,000 killed and 200,000 displaced before ending in December 1982.
What is the relationship between PJAK and the Marxist PKK from Turkey?
PJAK is affiliated with the Marxist PKK from Turkey though they tend to neglect this relation. One of the first actions of the Obama administration declared PJAK a terrorist organization.
Why did ethnic Kurds riot in Mahabad on the 7th of May 2015?
Ethnic Kurds rioted in Mahabad following the unexplained death of Farinaz Khosravani, a 25-year-old Kurdish hotel chambermaid. As of the 11th of May, the death toll rose to six protesters killed according to ARA sources.
All sources
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- 49webCan Baghdad disarm Iranian Kurdish parties in northern Iraq?Dana Menmy — 2023-10-09