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IRGC Threatens to Attack Northern Iraq if Kurdish Factions Are Not Disarmed

Fighters make an inspection after an Iranian attack in Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan (File photo: EPA)
Fighters make an inspection after an Iranian attack in Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan (File photo: EPA)
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IRGC Threatens to Attack Northern Iraq if Kurdish Factions Are Not Disarmed

Fighters make an inspection after an Iranian attack in Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan (File photo: EPA)
Fighters make an inspection after an Iranian attack in Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan (File photo: EPA)

Iran has said the deadline for Iraq to disarm “terror groups” in the Kurdistan region will expire on September 19.

Deputy Operational Commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Abbas Nilforoushan told Tasnim news agency that his forces would return to their previous positions if the Kurdish opposition parties based in the Iraqi Kurdistan region were not disarmed.

"We have to protect the interests of the Iranian people," Nilforoushan said.

He asserted Tehran's commitment to the agreement concluded with Baghdad last March, saying the other party is expected to act accordingly.

Earlier, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanaani, said that Tehran had obtained an Iraqi commitment to disarm the Kurdish opposition parties within a deadline that expires on September 22.

Kanaani pointed out that Iran will work according to its responsibilities within the framework of the country's security if the commitment is not made.

Kurdish sources had told Asharq Al-Awsat that nothing has so far changed, and no party has been disarmed.

The sources said the only change made so far is that armed groups no longer display their weapons publicly.

On July 11, Iranian Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri said that his country would resume attacks on the Iraqi Kurdistan region if Baghdad did not fulfill its obligations regarding armed groups.

He gave the Iraqi government until September to disarm the Iranian Kurdish parties opposed to Tehran.

In September last year, the IRGC attacked with more than 70 surface-to-air missiles and dozens of booby-trapped drones, targeting several locations in Iraqi Kurdistan, including the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan.

At the time, observers said the attack was an attempt to divert attention from the protests that raged in the country after the death of the Kurdish young woman, Mahsa Amini, in police custody.

Iran blamed Western countries for being behind the protests and accused the Kurdish opposition parties of expanding them to Kurdish cities in western Iran.

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Cairo May Request Extradition of Qaradawi’s Son from Abu Dhabi

Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)
Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)
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Cairo May Request Extradition of Qaradawi’s Son from Abu Dhabi

Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)
Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)

As Lebanese authorities proceed with the deportation of Egyptian activist Abdel Rahman al-Qaradawi, the son of the late cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi, to the United Arab Emirates, an Egyptian source involved in the case told Asharq Al-Awsat that Cairo plans to formally request his extradition from Abu Dhabi once he arrives there.

Controversy has surrounded the case since Lebanon announced that the government had approved the deportation of Qaradawi to the UAE instead of Egypt, where he holds citizenship.

Former Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour explained to Asharq Al-Awsat that citizenship is not an obstacle in extradition cases between countries, saying that a state may decide to extradite a person to another country even if they hold the nationality of a third state, as in the case of Qaradawi’s son.

According to Lebanese sources, the decision to extradite Qaradawi to the UAE is based on a warrant issued by the Council of Arab Interior Ministers. As a member of the council, Lebanon is obligated to comply with the UAE’s request, despite the absence of a direct bilateral extradition agreement between the two countries.

Additionally, the extradition decision was influenced by the fact that the charges against Qaradawi are criminal, not political, as political charges would prevent extradition and instead warrant protection under international conventions.

An Egyptian judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the International Cooperation Office of Egypt’s Public Prosecutor had prepared a comprehensive file containing all rulings issued against Qaradawi to ensure that the extradition request met all legal requirements. This file was sent to Lebanese judicial authorities through official channels. However, Egypt has yet to receive a response from Lebanon, though one is expected in the coming days.

Dr. Mohammed Mahmoud Mehran, a member of the American and European societies for international law, told Asharq Al-Awsat that international law generally allows extradition when the individual is either a citizen of the requesting state, has committed a crime on its territory, or when the requesting state has a direct legal interest in the case.

As Qaradawi is an Egyptian citizen, Egypt “has the legal right to request his extradition under international law and bilateral agreements, provided all legal conditions are met,” Mehran said.

Meanwhile, Qaradawi’s lawyer, Mohammed Sablouh, confirmed plans to file an urgent appeal in Lebanese courts to prevent his client’s extradition, according to Reuters. Mehran explained that extradition laws grant the individual the right to appeal in court, while the requesting states also have the right to challenge decisions.

Mehran suggested that if Qaradawi is ultimately handed over to the UAE, it is highly likely he will later be extradited to Egypt after procedural requirements in the Emirates are fulfilled. This is due to the strong bilateral relations and close security coordination between Egypt and the UAE.

Abdel Rahman al-Qaradawi, who holds dual Egyptian and Turkish citizenship, was arrested in Lebanon on December 28 after returning from Syria. His arrest followed an Interpol red notice issued based on an in absentia ruling by an Egyptian court sentencing him to five years in prison for spreading false news, inciting violence, and terrorism. Before his arrest, Qaradawi appeared in a video filmed at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, where he made remarks considered offensive to both Egypt and the UAE.