Over the past decades, Iran has to a great extent been able to physically weaken the Kurdish nationalist movement within its borders. However, it has drastically failed to address the concerns which drive such sentiments. Recent developments, including the election of a Kurdish-speaking president, have highlighted the timeliness of the Islamic Republic finally addressing the Kurdish question. But apart from the Iranian state, are Kurdish parties also ready for such a deal?

Space for optimism

Although the 2022 women-led protests in Iran united the discourse of entire communities against the political establishment, parallel polarization—particularly in the diaspora—underscored deep-seated and unresolved issues. To many Kurds, the monarchist opposition in particular is not viewed as...