Since the West discovered in September the secret deal forged between Moscow and Tehran, Iranian UAVs have become more common in the war in Ukraine. However, long before they started crashing in Kiev and other cities, the Kurdish-Iranian minority in northern Iraq was a victim of Tehran-made UAVs.
"We have not been bombed for just a few months, but since the beginning of the Islamic revolution - for 40 years," says Iva Bachrami, who is responsible for foreign relations in the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (DPKI) in a conversation with Israel Hayom.
The mass protests in Iran broke out on September 16 following the death of the young woman Mehsa Amini, after she was arrested by the regime's modesty police because she did not completely cover her hair with the traditional hijab.
Ibrahim Raisi's government began to blame "internal and external factors" that are allegedly agitating against the state, and as happened in the past, they found the Kurdish minority an easy prey to vent their frustration on.
Then began the shelling using missiles and drones against the population, which joined the general demonstrations in the country out of disgust and a desire for regime change. About half of the 400 people killed in the protests belong to the Kurdish minority.
The protests in Iran continue, Iranian protesters protest in Iran (archive), photo: AFP
"In the last three attacks over the past 40 days, the regime used not only ballistic missiles, but also UAVs, some of which we were able to intercept using the air defense system," explained Bechermi.
Some of the components are made in Europe and even by American companies." Bachrami says that the Iranians have been using UAVs for two years.
The protests in Iran, which are approaching their third month, are defined as historic not only because of their duration, but also because of the populations involved.
"The whole country wants to get rid of this regime and win freedom, not just Kurdistan. It is natural for the party to support people in Iran, but we are not the ones organizing the demonstrations," explains a senior member of the DPKI party.
"The whole country wants to get rid of this regime", Iranian President Raisi (for illustration),
The senior Kurdish official also criticizes the decision makers in the West.
"So far we have heard a lot of words from the international community, but we have seen almost zero actions. The sanctions are good but not enough. What is needed are much stricter sanctions, such as those imposed against Russia following the war in Ukraine," notes Bechrami.
The official also emphasizes Israel's interest in supporting the protesters: "We seek support from all democratic countries in the world, including Israel. For the regime, Israel is the main enemy and they always try to attack it in every possible way. Now Israel and the Iranian people have a common goal," he concludes.
were we wrong
We will fix it!
If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us