Publications
In an exclusive interview with Kurdistan Agora, the English-language platform of the TISHK Centre for Kurdistan Studies, Mustafa Mauludi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), shares key insights on the party, Kurdistan, Iran, and broader regional affairs with…
The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan’s (PDKI) affiliation with the Iran Freedom Congress (IFC) is a fundamental strategic error that severely compromises party sovereignty and the Kurdish national struggle. Structurally, the IFC operates not as an equal-partner coalition, but as a centralist…
In the essay "Broken and Suspended," international security analyst Shahin Modarres explores the paralyzed state of Iranian political society following the devastating Israeli and American military strikes of June 2025. Modarres argues that while the Islamic Republic is militarily shattered, the Iranian…
This article presents a scathing indictment of the Iranian regime, arguing that its systematic disregard for human life—from the lethal saturation of its own borderlands with landmines to targeted strikes on civilian infrastructure across the Middle East—has evolved from a domestic tragedy…
This article shows how the Iranian government employs a "conspiracy narrative" to mask systemic human rights violations and justify the suppression of dissent. By consistently blaming external actors for domestic crises, the state creates a political smokescreen that diverts public attention from…
This article examines the formation of a new Kurdish political alliance in Iran and the debates it has triggered over territorial integrity and political sovereignty. It argues that Iranian nationalism remains structured around a Persian-centered core that systematically marginalizes non-Persian peoples. Kurdish…
This article argues that the impact of conflict is dictated by a pre-existing "geography of inequality" that marginalizes East Kurdistan. While Iran’s central and southern provinces are defined by high-value economic assets, a century of occupation and systemic underinvestment under both the…
In recent years, Iran has witnessed successive waves of popular protests—movements rooted in deep economic, political, and social crises. From nationwide uprisings to localized unrest, what stands out most is the persistence of public dissatisfaction and its expansion across diverse segments of…
As the regional conflict involving Iran intensifies, Kurdish borderlands in western Iran have emerged as a pivotal geopolitical front. The February 2026 formation of the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan (CPFIK)—a unified alliance of major opposition parties—marks a strategic shift,…
This critique examines the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and its recent analytical shift regarding the Iranian opposition. The author argues that the FDD—specifically through the work of analysts like Janatan Sayeh and Saeed Ghasseminejad—has traded pluralistic democratic principles for a…
Since April 9, 2025, more than 900 Iranian intellectuals, artists, and cultural figures have been signing a manifesto condemning the public celebration of Kurdish Newroz—an ancient spring festival widely celebrated in Kurdistan — as a threat to Iran’s “territorial integrity.” Written in…
In this article, Shna Pasbar examines the evolution of democratic governance within the Kurdish regions of Iraq and Iran, positioning the Kurdish movement in Iran as a pivotal emerging democratic force in the Middle East. It explores how these movements have adapted…
