عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Türkiye Signals Possible Intervention in Northern Iraq over Kurdish Role in Iran War

Military exercises by fighters from PJAK in Erbil, northern Iraq, on February 26 (Reuters) 
Military exercises by fighters from PJAK in Erbil, northern Iraq, on February 26 (Reuters) 
TT
TT

Türkiye Signals Possible Intervention in Northern Iraq over Kurdish Role in Iran War

Military exercises by fighters from PJAK in Erbil, northern Iraq, on February 26 (Reuters) 
Military exercises by fighters from PJAK in Erbil, northern Iraq, on February 26 (Reuters) 

Türkiye has signaled it could launch a military intervention in northern Iraq similar to its operations in Syria if Kurdish militants join ground fighting inside Iran, Turkish sources said.

The warning targets fighters from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its Iranian affiliate, the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), should they take part in operations in western Iran, allegedly with Israeli backing.

Since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28, Ankara has warned multiple parties against plans to deploy Kurdish militants in the conflict, the sources said.

The pro-government daily Turkiye reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told US President Donald Trump in a phone call shortly after the war began that Türkiye would not accept the use of “terrorist organizations” in attacks on Iran, stressing its clear position on territorial integrity.

Turkish foreign ministry and intelligence delegations later conveyed a message to officials in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region: “We will intervene as we did in Syria,” the sources added.

Imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan also warned the group’s leadership in Iraq’s Qandil mountains against being “deceived by Israel’s game”, a message that sources said shifted regional dynamics.

Analysts linked Ankara’s stance to remarks by Trump, who praised Türkiye’s conduct during the conflict.

“I think Türkiye was great — they were really amazing and stayed within the bounds we asked of them,” Trump said at a summit in Miami, while Erdogan described him as a “great leader”.

Political analyst Murat Yetkin said the remarks reflected US appreciation for Türkiye’s role in preventing direct confrontation between Israel and NATO.

He noted that NATO had intercepted missiles heading towards Turkish airspace, reinforced its air defenses with Patriot systems, and stepped up military coordination — signaling a new phase in Türkiye-NATO ties.

Yetkin said any attack on Türkiye would likely trigger a NATO response before Ankara acts, including against threats from the south and east.

He added that Washington may be seeking to keep Türkiye out of a direct conflict with Israel that could escalate into a broader crisis involving the alliance.

 

 

 

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

UKMTO: Container Vessel Fired upon and Boarding Attempted by Skiff off Yemen Coast

Patrol boats affiliated with the Yemeni coast guard off the port of Mokha in the southern Red Sea (Saba News Agency)
Patrol boats affiliated with the Yemeni coast guard off the port of Mokha in the southern Red Sea (Saba News Agency)
TT
TT

UKMTO: Container Vessel Fired upon and Boarding Attempted by Skiff off Yemen Coast

Patrol boats affiliated with the Yemeni coast guard off the port of Mokha in the southern Red Sea (Saba News Agency)
Patrol boats affiliated with the Yemeni coast guard off the port of Mokha in the southern Red Sea (Saba News Agency)

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations received a report on Monday ‌that ‌a container ‌vessel was ⁠approached and fired upon ⁠by a small skiff 14 ⁠nautical miles south ‌off the ‌coast of ‌Yemen, ‌with an attempted boarding.

Authorities are investigating, ‌and vessels are advised ⁠to transit ⁠with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO, it said.

Arab World

Lebanon’s Aoun Hopes US-Iran Deal Will Put ‘Definitive End’ to Israel-Hezbollah War

A man walks amidst rubble in the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 15, 2026. (Reuters)
A man walks amidst rubble in the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 15, 2026. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Lebanon’s Aoun Hopes US-Iran Deal Will Put ‘Definitive End’ to Israel-Hezbollah War

A man walks amidst rubble in the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 15, 2026. (Reuters)
A man walks amidst rubble in the aftermath of Israeli strikes in Nabatieh, Lebanon, June 15, 2026. (Reuters)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday expressed hope that a deal between Washington and Tehran to end the Middle East war would put a "definitive end" to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

In a statement issued by his office, Aoun praised the memorandum's affirmation that "Lebanon's security and safety are an integral part of any effort to consolidate stability in the region".

The Lebanese people "look forward to these understandings transforming into practical steps that put a definitive end to the cycle of violence and establish a phase of stability, security, recovery and reconstruction," the statement added.

Israel’s defense minister said Monday that Israel won’t withdraw from land occupied in Lebanon as the interim deal between Iran and the United States is pending.

Katz said Israel plans to stay “indefinitely” in lands it holds in Lebanon, as well as Syria and the Gaza Strip.

Iran has tied the interim deal over the war to halting Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, two Israeli far-right ministers denounced the deal.

"We must not settle for anything less than the dismantling of Hezbollah. We must not withdraw from a single inch of territory that our soldiers have captured and cleared of terrorist infrastructure," National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on his Telegram channel said.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also echoed the sentiment, calling the deal "bad for Israel".

He also called for a stronger campaign in Lebanon.

"We will be judged in Lebanon. This is our war, our soldiers, and the immediate security of our northern residents," he said.

Arab World

Lebanon ‘Not Informed’ of Terms of Iran-US Deal, Says Official

A photograph taken from the southern area of Marjeyoun shows smoke rising from fires reportedly ignited at a site targeted by Israeli artillery shelling in the southern village of Kfar Tibnit on June 15, 2026. (AFP)
A photograph taken from the southern area of Marjeyoun shows smoke rising from fires reportedly ignited at a site targeted by Israeli artillery shelling in the southern village of Kfar Tibnit on June 15, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

Lebanon ‘Not Informed’ of Terms of Iran-US Deal, Says Official

A photograph taken from the southern area of Marjeyoun shows smoke rising from fires reportedly ignited at a site targeted by Israeli artillery shelling in the southern village of Kfar Tibnit on June 15, 2026. (AFP)
A photograph taken from the southern area of Marjeyoun shows smoke rising from fires reportedly ignited at a site targeted by Israeli artillery shelling in the southern village of Kfar Tibnit on June 15, 2026. (AFP)

Lebanon has not been informed of details of an agreement between the United States and Iran to end the Middle East war on all fronts including in Lebanon, an official source told AFP on Monday.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported intermittent artillery shelling in the country's south on Monday but no airstrikes -- a lower level of violence compared to previous days.

Hezbollah has not commented on the agreement, but the Iran-backed group has not claimed any fresh attacks on Monday on Israeli targets.

"Lebanon was not informed of the terms of the agreement or the time of the ceasefire," the source said on condition of anonymity.

Few details have been made public about the agreement announced overnight.

Lebanese parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally who acts as an intermediary between the group and the US, praised the deal, thanking the United States and Tehran for their "insistence on including... an essential and binding clause on halting the Israeli aggression on all of Lebanon".

Israel and Hezbollah have been at war since March 2 when the Iran-backed group fired rockets at Israel to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes days earlier.

Israel responded with a campaign of airstrikes and a ground invasion. Previous ceasefire announcements have failed to stop the fighting.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shebhaz Sharif, whose country has been mediating between Tehran and Washington, said that "both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon".

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said that "a permanent and immediate end to the war has been declared on all fronts, including Lebanon".

AFP correspondents on Monday reported a cautious return of some residents to their homes in areas of south Lebanon not occupied by Israel's army.