Former KDPI Deputy Secretary-General Asso Hassan Zadeh Speaks to France 24 • FRANCE 24 English
•March 7, 2026
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Why It Matters
Kurdish political forces could become a decisive lever in any U.S. effort to topple Iran’s regime, while their involvement also raises the risk of a wider regional conflict and reshapes power dynamics in Iraq’s Kurdish autonomous area.
Key Takeaways
- •Kurdish parties deny separatist label, seek rights within democratic Iran
- •Iranian army intensifies strikes on Kurdish bases and civilian camps
- •KDPI claims unprecedented contacts with US to discuss regime change
- •Kurds demand air‑cover and no‑fly zone before any ground offensive
- •Iraqi Kurdistan caught between Iranian aggression and US strategic interests
Summary
In a France 24 interview, former KDPI deputy secretary‑general Asso Hassan Zadeh outlined the Kurdish political agenda amid the widening Iran‑Israel‑US confrontation. He rejected the “separatist” label applied to Iranian Kurdish parties, insisting their program seeks full national rights for Kurds inside a democratic, federal Iran. Zadeh described how the Iranian army has recently intensified air strikes on Kurdish headquarters, bases and civilian family camps along the Iran‑Iraq border, warning that Tehran is preparing a possible ground offensive.
Zadeh said the Kurdish coalition has entered “unprecedented” contacts with the United States, discussing how Kurdish forces could help catalyze regime change if Tehran falls. He emphasized that any Kurdish participation would require strict conditions: a guaranteed no‑fly zone, U.S. or allied air cover, and safeguards against the regime using Iranian civilians as human shields. While acknowledging limited military capability, he highlighted the Peshmerga’s deep local knowledge, popular mobilization capacity, and the strategic leverage of Kurdish‑controlled territories.
Notable remarks included, “We fight for national rights within a democratic Iran,” and “Our parties have the potential to shift U.S. policy toward a democratic alternative.” Zadeh also warned that Iranian troops are massing on the border, and that Iraqi Kurdistan is being hit by cross‑border strikes, placing Baghdad’s autonomous region in a precarious diplomatic position between Tehran and Washington.
The interview signals a possible realignment of U.S. strategy in the region, as Kurdish actors seek to translate political leverage into concrete security guarantees. If Tehran’s regime collapses, Kurdish participation could shape the post‑war settlement, but missteps risk a broader escalation that would entangle Iraq’s Kurdish region and destabilize the already volatile Middle‑East landscape.
Original Description
Tensions surrounding Iran are drawing renewed international attention amid reports of rising regional instability and questions about how different actors across the region could be affected. Iran’s Kurdish regions, where political movements have long sought greater political rights and representation, are also part of the wider discussion as the situation continues to evolve.
Joining us today for Spotlight to discuss these developments is France 24’s Jennie Shin, who is joined by Asso Hassan Zadeh, the former Deputy Secretary-General of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran
#Iran #KDPI #KurdishRegions
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