SULAIMANI, Iraqi Kurdistan region,— Several Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraqi Kurdistan have called for a general strike in Iran on Thursday to show support for nationwide protests, an exiled party told AFP.
The demonstrations began on December 28, 2025, when shopkeepers in Tehran launched a strike over rising prices and an economic slowdown. Since then, the unrest has spread to other cities and evolved to include political demands against the Islamic republic.
The Komala party, a Kurdish separatist organization based in Iraqi Kurdistan and considered banned by Tehran, announced the strike on Wednesday.
Hassan Rahmanpanah, a member of Komala’s central committee, told AFP that seven Kurdish opposition parties have called for a general strike on Thursday.
He said the strike is intended to show the Kurdish people’s unified support for the protests being held by Iranians against the Islamic republic.
Rahmanpanah accused Iranian officials of using force and committing crimes against demonstrators.
Komala has a long history of armed resistance against the Iranian government. It was active during the 1979 Kurdish rebellion and the Iran–Iraq War.
Since the establishment of the Islamic republic in 1979, Kurds in Iranian Kurdistan have faced discriminatory laws in social, political, and economic areas, rights activists say.
Kurds in Iran report restrictions on religious, cultural, and economic freedoms. Parents are prohibited from registering some Kurdish names for their children, and religious minorities with Kurdish populations have been targeted with measures that stigmatize and isolate them.
Access to employment, housing, and political representation is also limited, contributing to widespread poverty among the Kurdish population.
According to estimates, Iranian Kurdistan is home to over 12 million Kurds.
(With files from AFP | Agencies)
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