Iranian Kurds buying supplies in Iraqi Kurdistan report fear

PENJWEN, Iraqi Kurdistan,— Iranian truck drivers waiting at the Bashmakh crossing in Sulaimani province in Iraq’s Kurdistan region (Bashur) say food and fuel are becoming increasingly scarce back home as Israeli airstrikes continue targeting military and nuclear sites across Iran, according to AFP.

Among those stranded is Fatah, a driver transporting asphalt to Bandar Abbas. Like others at the border, he is also bringing food supplies for his family in Mariwan in Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhelat). “We can’t get rice, tea, or sugar easily anymore,” he said. “People wait for hours at fuel stations.”

Drivers interviewed at the border asked to remain anonymous and off-camera due to concerns about possible retaliation by authorities in Iran. Around 30 Iranians were spoken to near the crossing, many citing long journeys back to cities that have yet to see direct strikes but are experiencing supply disruptions.

Fatah’s route takes him near the Natanz uranium enrichment site, which has been a target during Israel’s military campaign on nuclear sites and military infrastructure , that began Friday. Iran says at least 224 people, have been killed in the airstrikes. Israel reported 24 deaths from Iranian missile responses, according to its prime minister’s office.

In Sne (Sanandaj) in Iranian Kurdistan, Aram, a 28-year-old driver, said his family had to evacuate their home after a strike near a local military base. “They moved to a village to stay with relatives,” he said. “They’re okay, but a lot of families had to do the same.”

Aram said panic buying had increased across several towns. “People are afraid there won’t be anything left, so they’re stocking up.”

Shwan, a car dealer in Bukan, told Reuters via messaging app that multiple military targets near his city had been bombed. “There’s fear everywhere,” he said. “Bakeries have long lines, and many people leave empty-handed.”

He added that finding rice and cooking oil had also become difficult. “Some public workers haven’t been paid,” he said.

Avin, a seamstress in the Iranian Kurdish city of Saqqez, said her town hadn’t been directly struck but that many families were still leaving. “The war hasn’t hit here, but people are scared,” she said. “Most goods come from Tehran, and things are bad there too.”

Markets across northwest Iran are slowing down, and drivers at Bashmakh say they are using the opportunity to bring essential supplies to their families. Several said they feared conditions would continue to deteriorate if the conflict escalates.

The Bashmakh crossing remains open but heavily backed up, with limited movement in and out of the country. The drivers expect further delays as border checks tighten.

An Iraqi Kurdish PhD student who fled Tehran returned to Sulaimani city in Iraqi Kurdistan on Monday, describing widespread panic, supply shortages, and ongoing unrest in the Iranian capital.

Basoz Towfiq told Rudaw TV that she was among a group of students instructed by Iranian authorities to leave the country after universities were shut down and airports closed.

“We managed to leave Iran and return to our homeland,” she said. “Our university is located in downtown Tehran, and we were aware of the clashes happening in the city.”

Iran’s Kurdish minority has long faced systemic discrimination across economic, political and social sectors since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979.

Kurds in Iran report limited access to employment, housing, and political participation. Restrictions also extend to cultural and religious rights, with authorities barring parents from using certain Kurdish names for newborns. Minority religious groups with large Kurdish populations are often subjected to measures that isolate or stigmatize them.

These conditions have contributed to widespread poverty and marginalization in the region. Rights organizations estimate that more than 12 million Kurds live in Iranian Kurdistan.

Armed Kurdish factions, including PJAK, Komala, and the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), have long clashed with the Iranian government in pursuit of greater autonomy for Kurdish-populated regions. These groups maintain a presence along much of the 60-kilometer stretch of border between Iran and Iraq’s Kurdistan region.

(With files from AFP | Agencies)