Iran and Iraq agree to expel or extradite Kurdish opposition groups

The Iranian Ambassador to Iraq, Mohammad Kazem Al-Sadeq, announced that Iran and Iraq have reached an agreement to either expel or extradite members of Iranian Kurdish opposition parties from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. This announcement follows a joint security meeting involving Iranian officials, the Iraqi National Security Adviser, and a delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government.

While the Iranian ambassador characterized the groups as “terrorist separatist groups,” Iraqi officials have not explicitly confirmed the extradition component of the deal. High-level Iraqi security officials told Agence France-Presse that Baghdad has previously refused to extradite these individuals to Iran due to concerns for their safety.

The agreement builds upon a March 2023 security pact between Baghdad and Tehran aimed at securing shared borders and addressing the presence of armed Kurdish opposition groups. Under that previous arrangement, Iraq committed to disarming these groups and preventing Iraqi territory from being used to launch attacks against Iran. In September 2023, Iraqi authorities announced the disarmament of several groups and their relocation to designated areas to be treated as refugees.