Iran’s Position on the Civil War Between the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq 1994 – 1998

Abstract

The political, administrative, and economic structures of the Kurdish entity in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have undergone several transformative stages, many of which were critical and nearly led to the collapse of this fragile structure established under challenging political and military conditions. The regional powers that share the territory of historical Kurdistan namely Iraq, Turkey, Iran, and to a lesser extent, Syria played significant roles in shaping these developments.

One of the most perilous phases experienced by Kurdish politics in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq was the civil war that broke out between the region’s two major political forces: the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). This internal conflict persisted for four consecutive years (1994 – 1998), marked by intermittent ceasefires, shifting internal fronts, and fluctuating regional alliances. Were it not for certain international legal frameworks that helped protect the Kurdish region from Baghdad’s offensives, the situation could have deteriorated drastically.

Both Tehran and Baghdad played substantial roles in this conflict. Each sought to support one faction over the other to secure influence in the Kurdistan Region and safeguard its national interests. Iran, in particular, maintained a constant presence throughout the conflict, strategically supporting one party against the other in alignment with its broader geopolitical objectives. These maneuvers were driven not only by Iran’s desire to assert control within Iraq but also by its aim to ensure its long-term strategic interests across the region especially in a territory that had proven pivotal during the Iran-Iraq War.