The Kurdish nation, numbering some 30 million, is dispersed in four countries: Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. This community, which for various reasons failed to realize its aspiration for national self-determination after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, has remained an ethnic minority divided over those countries. It is true that the Kurdish population is not monolithic and has various tribal identities, different religious perceptions, diverse political interests, and particularistic loyalties that led to rivalries and splits. It is no less true, however, that this did not detract the Kurds from striving to realize their national aspirations, a longstanding struggle...

The relations between the Kurdish minority in Iran and the central government experienced ups and downs both during the monarchy and under the revolutionary regime. In the historical consciousness of the Islamic Republic is still etched the uprising of the Kurdish minority under the leadership of Qazi Muhammad, which led to the establishment of the Republic of Mahabad (January 1946) under Soviet patronage. The formation of this entity, despite its brief existence, was a precedent for Kurdish success in realizing its national aspirations. However, it is important to examine the historical context that led to this development.

In late August...

The leadership vacuum currently prevailing within Iran’s Kurdish minority points to other reasons for the Islamic Republic’s objection to the national aspirations of the Iraqi Kurds, namely the fear that Kurdish autonomy in northeastern Iraq will reduce its leverage in the war torn country. Arguably the main beneficiary of the March 2003 US-led international invasion of Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s longstanding regime, Tehran’s deep penetration of Iraq's political, diplomatic and security spheres is a well-known fact - and a major step toward the realization of its ambitions for regional hegemony.¹⁵

Another consideration that directly affects Iranian policy...

The Iranian strategy prior to the referendum comprised a number of basic elements, including media propaganda for deterrence, a divide and rule policy, coordination of joint steps with Turkey, and a campaign to delegitimize the Kurdish move. The first step taken by Tehran after Barzani made known his intention to hold a referendum was a broad propaganda campaign on two parallel axes: One, through senior government officials; the other, through the commanders and spokesmen of the armed militias operating in Iraq on behalf of Iran. Notably, the most activist and militant line against the referendum was voiced by the spokesmen...

The far-reaching geopolitical changes attending the 2003 Iraq invasion, notably the end of the 82-year-long Sunni minority rule, opened a wide window of opportunity for Tehran to realize its hegemonic ambitions. Moreover, the concentration of international attention on the struggle against ISIS enabled the Iranians to strengthen their position in Iraq and Syria and to act without hindrance in advancing their envisaged “Shiite crescent.”

In these circumstances, it is hardly surprising that Tehran frowned on the burgeoning aspirations of the Iraqi Kurds for self-determination. And while the bitter memories of the "Mahabad Republic" played a role in the Islamic regime's...