2016–22 2022– Supported by: Ahmad Shah Qajar Reza Shah Pahlavi Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Ruhollah Khomeini # (1979−89) Ali Khamenei (1981−present) Ebrahim Raisi(2021-2024) Hassan Rouhani (2013−2021) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005−2013) Mohammad Khatami (1997−2005) Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (1989−1997) Mohammad-Ali Rajai X Abolhassan Banisadr Simko Shikak (1918–1930) X Qazi Muhammad  Mustafa Barzani Jafar Sultan Ahmed Barzani Salahaddin Kazimov (1945-1946) Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou XSadegh Sharafkandi X Foad Mostafa Soltani † Sedigh Kamangar Abdullah Mohtadi Haji Ahmadi (2004–2011) Majid Kavian † Mustafa Hijri Siamand Moeini Zilan Vejin Hussein Yazdanpanah 1945–1979 1979–present Kurdish separatism in Iran[17] or the Kurdish–Iranian conflict[18][19] is an ongoing,[9][12][17][20] long-running, separatist dispute between the Kurdish opposition in Western Iran and the governments of Iran,[17] lasting since the emergence of Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1918.

[9] The earliest Kurdish separatist activities in modern times refer to tribal revolts in today's West Azerbaijan Province of the Imperial State of Iran, which began between the two World Wars – the largest of these were led by Simko Shikak, Jafar Sultan and Hama Rashid.

The danger of fragmentation in modern Iran became evident shortly after Second World War when Soviet Union's refused to relinquish occupied North Western Iranian territory.

[23] Iran crisis of 1946 included a separatist attempt of KDP-I and communist groups[31] to establish the Soviet puppet government,[32][33][34] and declare the Republic of Mahabad in Iranian Kurdistan (today's southern part of West Azerbaijan Province).

[12] Though later several Marxist insurgencies continued for decades, led by KDP-I and Komala, but those two organization have never advocated a separate Kurdish state or greater Kurdistan as did the PKK in Turkey.

[39] Iran–PJAK conflict is an ongoing rebellion of PJAK in which hundreds Kurdish militants and Iranian forces as well as civilians have died, officially lasting since April 2004.

Although sometimes described as organization demanding more human rights for Kurds in Iran, it is regarded as separatist by Iranian media and various Western analysts.

After the cease fire agreement, a number of clashes between PJAK and IRGC took place in 2012,[20] and by mid-2013, the fighting resumed in sporadic incidents, escalating in 2016.

[43] It was unclear whether this was a result of change of policy by the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (which evaded violence since 1996) or an isolated sequence of incidents.

Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) and Komalah expressed their support to the Kurdish cause of PDKI as well, with both clashing with Iranian security forces in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

In parallel, a leftist Iranian Kurdish rebel group PJAK resumed military activities against Iran in 2016, following a long period of stalemate.

[51] Iran has periodically launched strikes against the KDPI and other Iranian Kurdish dissident groups based in the frontier of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

In March 2023, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani, who came to power via a coalition of Iranian-backed parties, signed a border security agreement with Iran to tighten up the frontier between the two countries.