Iran's ambassador to Iraq, Mohammad Kazem Al-Sadegh, said on Tuesday that Baghdad had agreed to "expel" members of Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraq's Kurdistan region, or hand them over to Iran, AFP reported. Tehran labels the groups "separatist terrorist groups" — that is Iran's description of them, not a finding by Iraq or any international body.

"During a meeting of the joint security commission — attended by the Iranian delegation and the Iraqi National Security Adviser — the two parties agreed to expel the members of the Iranian separatist terrorist groups from the Iraqi Kurdistan region or hand them over to Iran," the ambassador wrote on X, according to AFP.

Baghdad has not confirmed that claim. AFP reported that senior Iraqi security officials had repeatedly told the agency that Baghdad was refusing to expel or hand over the exiles, fearing for their lives. A statement from the Iraqi National Security Adviser's media office said the two delegations met in Baghdad on Monday, with a delegation from the Kurdistan regional government also taking part, and that the talks focused on addressing current challenges and aligning the parties' positions — it made no mention of any expulsion agreement.

Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region has long hosted camps and bases of Iranian Kurdish groups, which Tehran accuses of serving US or Israeli interests — an accusation the groups' supporters dispute. Under a 2023 security agreement, Baghdad disarmed the groups, moved them away from the border and transferred them to camps, a deal that ended recurring Iranian bombardments of their positions. Since the Middle East war broke out in late February, however, Iran has resumed deadly attacks on the groups, AFP reported. In February, five of the groups announced a political alliance aimed at overthrowing the Iranian government and securing self-determination for Kurds.

Sources: AFP reporting on the ambassador's statement and Iraqi officials' response; FDD's Long War Journal summary of the October 20 announcement; The Amargi, which noted Baghdad has not publicly confirmed any expulsion agreement.