Iran Under Attack from Within: Gun Battles Spread as Khamenei's Forces Fall

A series of large-scale armed clashes has spread across several cities in western Iran over the past three days, triggered by intense friction between Kurdish opposition groups and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The escalation of deadly fighting, centred in the areas of Mahabad, Baneh, Paveh, Marivan, and the Khawmirabad border region, has tragically claimed at least seven lives. According to Rudaw Media Network, the latest battle in Mahabad resulted in the deaths of four fighters from the East Kurdistan Defence Forces (YRK), the military wing of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK). Iranian security forces also suffered significant losses during a fierce exchange of fire at a checkpoint on the Baneh-Saqqez road, where conscript Mardin Ahmadi and IRGC Sergeant Mohammad Hossein Beigi were killed, and four other security personnel and a civilian were seriously injured. The YRK maintains that IRGC casualties were far higher, claiming six members were killed in separate clashes on 30 June. The YRK stated its members fought to the last drop of blood and were martyred heroically. Sporadic clashes between the IRGC and YRK have been ongoing since Saturday across Baneh, Paveh, and Mahabad, with the IRGC confirming the deaths of two senior Basij militia members. Amid the chaos, a new armed faction calling itself Xori Hiwa (Sun of Hope) has claimed responsibility for one of the tactical attacks, though analysts suggest this is likely a rebranding strategy by an existing group. The PJAK, a major far-left Kurdish opposition group with ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), is at the centre of the conflict, raising geopolitical concerns for Turkey. This internal escalation coincides with Iran launching over 50 ballistic missile and suicide drone strikes targeting Kurdish opposition bases and civilian complexes in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, a move seen as leveraging military pressure during ongoing peace negotiations with the United States.