Iranian ambassador says Iraq agreed to expel or hand over Iranian Kurdish opposition members, despite earlier concerns over their safety

Iranian Ambassador to Iraq Mohammad Kazem al-Sadegh said Baghdad had agreed to expel or hand over members of Iranian Kurdish opposition groups who have taken refuge in the Iraqi Kurdistan region. He announced the agreement on X, saying it was reached at a joint security commission meeting attended by Iranian delegates and Iraq’s National Security Adviser.

The announcement contrasts with what senior Iraqi security officials previously told AFP: that Baghdad was refusing to expel or hand over the exiles because of concerns for their lives.

On Monday, Iraq’s National Security Council hosted a meeting in Baghdad attended by the two delegations and a governmental delegation from the Kurdistan region. The media office of Iraqi National Security Adviser Qassim al-Abboudi said the meeting focused on harmonizing the views of the parties concerned.

Iraqi Kurdistan has long hosted bases for Iranian Kurdish rebel groups, which Tehran labels as terrorists. Under a 2023 security agreement between Baghdad and Tehran, Iraqi authorities disarmed and relocated the groups away from the border. Iran later resumed deadly attacks against them following the outbreak of conflict in late February.