Step into the ‘House of Hercules’ in western Iran!

TEHRAN – Iran’s western Kordestan province is teemed with hundreds of historical sites, many of which well worth a visit. One of the most famous is the Caves of Karaftu, a series of chambers carved into a cliff facing a mountain. The caves are formed naturally but have been modified by inhabitants over the past centuries.

26 riot leaders arrested in Najafabad and 25 in Kurdistan

TEHRAN – In separate reports issued on Sunday, police announced that 26 ringleaders of the recent riots have been arrested in Najafabad, a city in Isfahan province, and 25 in the western province of Kurdistan.

From generation to generation: The art of Tanbur in Kermanshah

Tanbur, a long-necked fretted lute, is an inseparable part of the lives of the Kurds in Iran, so much so that the children learn how to play it before they learn how to read and write.

IRGC member assassinated in northwestern Iran

TEHRAN – A member of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has been assassinated in the town of Piranshahr in West Azerbaijan province, a local official announced on Tuesday.

Rouhani to visit Kurdistan on Wednesday

TEHRAN – President Rouhani will travel to Kurdistan Province on Wednesday to meet with people at Esteghlal club stadium in Sanandaj, the provincial capital.

Iran to ease visa rules for Iraqi Kurdistan travelers

TEHRAN – Iran is to loosen travel restrictions for Iraqi Kurdistan travelers in the hope of boosting tourism by offering electronic visas instead of printed ones.

Pomegranate festival marks harvest season in Uraman

Local children and young adults, clad in colorful traditional clothes, carry baskets of pomegranates during a local festival in Uraman, western Kordestan province, October 20, 2018.

Legendary Pir-e Shaliar warmly remembered in western Iran

TEHRAN – Like every year, Pir-e Shaliar, a legendary figure for Iranian Kurds, was warmly remembered during a vast ceremony held in Uraman Takht rural district.

Kurdistan premier scheduled to visit Tehran on Sunday

TEHRAN - The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Nechirvan Barzani is scheduled to visit Tehran on Sunday to hold talks with Iranian officials.

7000-year-old residence found in western Iran

TEHRAN – A previously spotted residence area at Nadali-Beig Hill in western Iran may date back to around 7,000 years ago, archaeological studies suggest.

Marivan: World crafts city of Kalash

TEHRAN - A photo collection depicts artisans making Kalash in workshops which are ubiquitous across the city of Marivan, western Iran.

Tehran-Erbil relations in suspension: envoy

TEHRAN – The Iraqi Kurdistan envoy to Iran, Nazem Dabaq, said on Monday that relations between Tehran and the Kurdistan region are in suspension.

Barzani offers condolences to Gen. Soleimani

TEHRAN – Former President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani has expressed condolences to Qods Force chief Major General Qassem Soleimani over the death of his father.

Baghdad: Iran closes border with Kurdistan upon Iraq’s request

TEHRAN – The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that Iran has shut its border crossings to the Kurdistan region at the request of the Iraqi central government.

by Fehim Tastekin

Turkey lays out plans for Iraq's Kurds after independence vote

Turkey is studying a variety of ways to punish Iraqi Kurds for approving an independence referendum Sept. 25. In addition to restricting oil trade and cutting off airspace, one plan being considered would create a new border crossing to Iraq that supposedly would allow Turkey to bypass northern Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) altogether.

New plot to create another Israel, Shahroudi says of Iraqi Kurdistan referendum

TEHRAN – Chairman of Iran's Expediency Council Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi on Saturday described the independence referendum in the Iraqi Kurdistan as an act of treason against the Muslim world.

by Dilshad Hama Khidhir

Refugees’ fate in limbo as Iraqi Kurdistan referendum nears

With the referendum on independence in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq scheduled for Sept. 25, the fate of the large number of displaced Iraqis and Syrian refugees in the region is unknown.

Top advisor warns of consequences of Kurdistan vote

TEHRAN – Ali Akbar Velayati, a top advisor to the Supreme Leader, has warned of the consequences of the Iraqi Kurdistan’s September 25 independence referendum, underlining the need for peace in Iraq to prevent conflicts.

By Barin Kayaoglu

Ankara hardens opposition to KRG referendum

Since the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced in June that it will hold a referendum on declaring independence from Iraq, the Turkish government has maintained a coolheaded approach — until now. As the Sept. 25 referendum approaches, Ankara seems to be toughening its stance against Iraqi Kurdistan independence.

Iran says only recognizes ‘united Iraq’

TEHRAN - Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani on Sunday insisted on Tehran’s long-held position on the territorial integrity of Iraq, saying Tehran only recognizes an “integrated” and “federal” Iraq.

‘Kurdish independence referendum is Zionist plot’

TEHRAN – Tehran Friday prayer leader Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami said on Friday that that a plan by the Iraqi Kurdistan to hold independence referendum is a Zionist plot aimed at disintegrating Iraq.

Peshmerga warns against intervention in Kurdistan affairs

TEHRAN – The Peshmerga ministry has said that no one other than the people of Kurdistan has the right to talk about the fate of the Kurdish people, Rudaw Media Network reported.

Iran eyes World Heritage tag for Uraman

TEHRAN – The Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Organization is following up on possible inscription of the Uraman cultural landscape on the UNESCO World Heritage list by 2018, ISNA reported on Monday.

Sanandaj hosts horseback competition

A horseback rider shows off his equestrianism skills during a competition as musicians perform pieces of local music in Sanandaj, Kurdistan province, on August 4, 2017. Watched by hundreds of spectators, the competition was held in various sections for men and women.

By: Amir A. Amirshekari

Iraqi Kurdistan independence is illegal

On 8 June 2017, Masoud Barzani the president of Iraqi Kurdistan called for a referendum for independence of the region on 25 September 2017.

IRGC kills three terrorists, arrests another in western Iran

TEHRAN – In clashes on Friday morning the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps identified a terrorist group in the western province of Kurdistan, killing three of them and arresting another.

Iran: United Iraq benefits all Iraqis

TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Saturday that the “integrated”, “stable” and “democratic” Iraq will serve the interests of the Iraqi people all.

Tehran objects to regional flag flying in Iraq’s Kirkuk

TEHRAN – Following a recent bid by the Kirkuk Provincial Council to raise the regional flag in front of some buildings, Iran says only Iraqi national colors must be allowed to fly in the country’s northern province of Kirkuk.

Iran reiterates support for unified Iraq 

TEHRAN – The head of Iran’s Expediency Council Center for Strategic Research on Wednesday told a visiting Iraqi Kurdistan politician that Tehran only supports a unified Iraq.

IRGC denies rift between Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan

TEHRAN – A spokesman for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday dismissed reports of disagreement between Iran and the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq, saying the Kurdish friends will never allow any hostile action against Iran’s national security.