Iranian Kurdish opposition leader says it’s time for ‘change and freedom’ in Iran

As the war between Iran on one side and Israel and the United States on the other enters its 19th day, an Iranian Kurdish opposition leader has denied any contact between his party and Washington regarding a potential military role for Iranian Kurdish fighters inside Iran.

Amir Karimi, co-chair of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), told Al Arabiya in response to a question about his party’s position on the strikes against Iran: “We support peace and are not in favor of war. This is our principle – not only as a party but as a Kurdish nation.”

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He also expressed concern about what he described as the “negative effects of the war on Iranian society.”

Karimi added: “We are concerned about the negative consequences of the war, especially as Iran is already facing a severe economic and living crisis. But the important point is that when the targets of these attacks are the Iranian regime, which killed thousands of Iranian citizens two months ago, opposing this war becomes difficult.”

He continued: “We are more prepared for a revolution than for war. The Kurdish people have faced and resisted a war of extermination for a hundred years. Now is the time for change and freedom, and the dictatorial regime in Tehran must make way for a democratic system.”

Karimi said: “We have the capacity for war, but we define ourselves more as actors working to establish democracy rather than as soldiers. We are determined to protect our people to the end, and if war is imposed on us, we will certainly defend ourselves. We have the strength, and everyone can see that.”

The Kurdish leader also said that “the authority of the Islamic Republic is illegitimate, having remained in power through force, violence, executions, and repression, and it must be replaced by a legitimate democratic authority.”

He stressed that the time has come for Iran to free itself from what he described as a nightmare and to “breathe the air of freedom.”

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump contacted a number of Kurdish opposition leaders in Iran, hinting at a possible role for Kurdish fighters on the ground alongside the airstrikes being carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran.

Iran is home to several ethnic minorities, including Kurds, Arabs, and Azerbaijanis, many of whom oppose the ruling system, arguing that it does not constitutionally recognize their rights.

Read more: Tehran threatens to target Iraqi Kurdistan if militants enter Iran