Newly formed Kurdistan political coalition condemns monarchist figure’s remarks as “baseless” and warns against militarizing civil demands.
A newly established coalition of Iranian Kurdish political forces has sharply rejected recent remarks by Reza Pahlavi, who described its member parties as “a few separatist groups” and declared Iran’s territorial integrity a “red line.”
The coalition, formally known as the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan (CPFIK), issued a statement on Wednesday, February 25, dismissing the accusation of separatism as “baseless.” The response followed Pahlavi’s public statement in which he warned that, in the coming days and weeks, as the Iranian regime collapses and is expelled from the country, vigilance in defending “national unity and territorial integrity” would be paramount.
In that same statement, Pahlavi addressed the armed forces under the command of Ali Khamenei, urging them to fulfill what he called their “national-patriotic duty” by standing with the people and defending Iran “against the Islamic Republic and separatists.”
Coalition Condemns “Security-Oriented” Approach
The Kurdish coalition denounced these remarks, emphasizing its commitment to “defending the aspirations of the Kurdish nation and the rights of oppressed nations in Iran.” It characterized Pahlavi’s rhetoric as “hate-mongering” and stated that such positions would not deter the pursuit of freedom-oriented demands.
In particular, coalition members argued that invoking the regime’s military as a response to political demands reflects a security-driven and militarized outlook toward civil grievances. According to the statement, this perspective bears a structural resemblance to both past and present patterns of repression in Iran, where calls for rights and recognition have frequently been met with force rather than dialogue.
Formation of a New Political Front
The coalition was officially announced on Sunday, February 22, with the participation of five Kurdish parties:
- Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK)
- Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI)
- Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK)
- Kurdistan Organization of Khabat
- Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan (Komala – Toilers faction)
The founding meeting took place in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. According to participants, the coalition’s purpose is to consolidate Kurdish political presence amid what they describe as a profound legitimacy crisis for the Iranian regime—one in which the regime has lost political credibility but remains in power through coercive means.
Support for Nationwide Protests
Members of the coalition also expressed support for ongoing anti-regime protests across Iran. They stressed the necessity of “political and field coordination” among Kurdish parties, civil society actors, and opposition forces throughout the country.
The confrontation between Reza Pahlavi and the Kurdish coalition cannot be framed as a debate within a coherent democratic alternative to the ruling system. Over the past four years—particularly since the January 2026 protests—his political interventions have been widely criticized by segments of Iranian society for deepening divisions among regime opponents rather than strengthening a unified front against the clerical establishment.
Kurdish parties interpret his latest remarks not as a constructive proposal for national cohesion, but as a reiteration of a top-down doctrine historically associated with the rule of his father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. In their assessment, invoking the military to confront what he labels “separatists” mirrors the same security-first paradigm that defined the pre-1979 monarchy—an approach that marginalized ethnic and political pluralism in the name of territorial integrity.
For these Kurdish actors, the issue is not the defense of Iran’s borders but the political method proposed to maintain them. They argue that equating minority rights claims with threats to national unity reproduces the very logic that has historically empowered authoritarian rule—first under the monarchy, and later under the clerical regime.
