Iran has announced that Iraq has agreed to expel members of Iranian Kurdish opposition groups living in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq or hand them over to Tehran, amid continuing security tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
Iranian Ambassador to Iraq, Mohammad Kazem Al-Sadegh, disclosed the development on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, following a meeting of the joint security commission involving Iranian and Iraqi officials in Baghdad.
In a statement posted on X, Al-Sadegh said both countries had agreed to remove members of what Tehran describes as Iranian separatist terrorist groups from Iraq’s Kurdistan region or transfer them to Iran.
The announcement followed discussions involving Iraq’s National Security Adviser, Qasim al-Abboudi, and representatives of the two countries.
However, the Iraqi government’s official statement on the meeting did not confirm that Baghdad had agreed to expel or hand over the opposition members. Instead, it said the discussions focused on addressing outstanding issues and improving security coordination among the parties.
The development comes amid longstanding tensions over the presence of Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, where several organisations have maintained bases and camps for decades.
Iran accuses the groups of threatening its national security and supporting activities against its government. The opposition groups, however, have sought greater rights for Iran’s Kurdish minority.
In March 2023, Iraq and Iran signed a security agreement aimed at strengthening border security, disarming Iranian Kurdish opposition groups and relocating their members away from the Iranian border.
Under the agreement, Iraqi authorities moved members of the groups to camps farther from the border and restricted their ability to conduct armed activities from Iraqi territory.
Despite the agreement, tensions have continued, with Iran carrying out attacks against Kurdish opposition positions in northern Iraq.
The latest announcement also raises concerns about the safety of Iranian Kurdish refugees and opposition members who have lived in Iraq for years.
According to reports cited by Rudaw, between 10,000 and 30,000 Iranian Kurdish refugees and asylum seekers live in Iraq, most of them in the Kurdistan region.
Iraqi officials have previously said they wanted to address the issue through peaceful means while coordinating with authorities in the Kurdistan region.
The extent of any agreement to expel or transfer opposition members remains unclear because the Iraqi government’s public statement did not confirm the specific arrangement announced by the Iranian ambassador.
The situation is likely to remain a significant diplomatic and security issue for Baghdad, Tehran and authorities in the Kurdistan region as they seek to implement their existing security commitments.
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