Kurdish cities in western and northwestern Iran have again turned into protest hubs where the people have been demanding the ouster of the ruling regime. Similar to previous rallies, senior Iranian officials blamed foreign enemies, such as rival countries, of stoking the protests and being behind a “global conspiracy” against Iran.  Ethnic minorities were the usual suspects. Iranian rulers again attempted to stifle dissent by warning the people of separatist plots and threats to national sovereignty. Along with its violent suppression of the protests, Iran launched drone and ballistic missile attacks against the positions of Kurdish parties. It also threatened to launch a widescale military operation against Kurdish dissidents.  The oldest Kurdish opposition party, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI), was a main target of accusations. Asharq Al-Awsat sat down with the party’s executive chief Mustafa Hijri to discuss the latest developments in Iran. The KDPI’s movement has raised concerns among both the ruling regime in Iran and other parties seeking to oust it and that do not recognize the aspirations of non-Persian people.  The KDPI recently succeeded in resolving internal disputes that had plagued the party for some two decades. Hijri stressed that his party is prioritizing the establishment of a federal democratic parliamentary system in Iran.  Weeks before the eruption of the latest protests, we witnessed the unification of both branches of the KDPI. What is the significance of the move?  We are confronting a backwards dictatorial regime in Iran that is cracking down on freedoms and depriving the people of their basic rights. The KDPI and the Iranian opposition have for several years been struggling against the regime of the Iranian Islamic Republic. Unfortunately, this struggle has not yielded its fruits yet and the people have not yet achieved their demands.  We believe that the Islamic Republic has not turned to the demands of the people due to the division of the Iranians themselves, especially their political organizations. The division has weakened forces inside Iran and they have failed in having their voices heard at protests the way they should.  That is why, and after years of division, the KDPI opted for reconciliation so that it can act as the effective Kurdish movement in Iranian Kurdistan. We had discussed this for a long time and fortunately, we recently managed to unite both branches of the party in Iran.  The development had a major impact on Iranian Kurdistan and the Iranian opposition as well. I believe that the reunification could have an impact on other Iranian opposition groups that are struggling against the Islamic Republic. This could mark the beginning of a new era of unity, cooperation and joint planning.  Does this mean we will see more cooperation between Kurdish parties in the future?  Before the unification of the KDPI, we were allied with prominent parties in Kurdistan. We are cooperating with two branches of the Komala as part of Kurdish opposition parties in Iran. We will continue this battle together.  What are the priorities of your party or peers in the Kurdish opposition?  Our main priority is the establishment of a federal parliamentary democracy in Iran. We are striving for this goal. Unity among opposition groups and the Iranian people is needed to reach this goal.  I can’t say that it will be a copy of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq because regardless of what kind of government rules Iran, it must reflect the political, geographic and national situation in the country. Within Iran, the Kurdish people, along with the other peoples who are living in their own geographic locations, must have their own internal governments. They must be part of a democratic constitutional framework in Iran.  Once that is achieved, we will begin to believe that Iran belongs to us. No group or people should be allowed to consider themselves to be the absolute owner of Iran or allow themselves to oppress others.  Some Iranian opposition groups do not recognize ethnic and religious minorities. They don’t believe there’s a place for them in Iran’s future. How do you respond to such claims?  For years, chauvinistic ideas had denied the existence of different peoples in Iran. These claims have been refuted. Today, whether inside Iran or abroad, we have clearly seen modern and progressive ideas that have understood the situation on the ground. They want Iran to be present and of this time. They want an Iran that secures the rights of all peoples. Our party believes in securing the national rights of the Kurdish people within a federal democratic Iran.  Even though you are insisting on the establishment of a free and democratic Iran, your demands have been viewed by some Iranians as separatist. How do you respond to this?  The Pahlavi regime had made such accusations to confront the demands of the KDPI even before the establishment of the Islamic Republic. The current regime is repeating the same accusations. No prominent party in Iranian Kurdistan is demanding separatism. Perhaps some people and some very small parties do want to secede from Iran, but they are reacting to the violence and oppression of the Islamic Republic.  No prominent party in Iranian Kurdistan wants to divide Iran or secede from it.  What is the greatest challenge faced by the KDPI and Kurdish opposition movements in reaching an alternative to the current regime?  I believe that the main real challenge is that some Iranian opposition political organizations are, unfortunately, somewhat totalitarian. They believe that they alone can oust the Islamic Republic and they will seek to form a government by themselves.  I believe that it is impossible for a party or group to topple the Islamic Republic and form the state that they want.  The only way forward is to unite all, or at least the majority, of Iranian political opposition groups so that we can work together based on a specific agenda and forge ahead in this struggle to achieve the demands of the people.  The united framework must effectively take in all the main demands of various groups so that the people, especially the Iranian peoples, can join the opposition and the struggle against the Islamic Republic.  How do you assess the internal political situation in Iran?  I believe the current struggles are in fact a turning point in the history of struggles of the Iranian people against the Islamic Republic. I believe these struggles have yielded many results to the freedom-loving Iranian people and the Kurdish people in Iranian Kurdistan.  I believe the people can achieve their demands if they united and cooperated with each other against the Islamic Republic.  I believe the current protest movement will continue in Iran even if it were to be suppressed. Its positive results will remain a success for the people. After the latest movement, the Islamic Republic transformed into another Islamic Republic. In spite of all its efforts, the Islamic Republic has failed in creating a unified ideological framework for the Iranian people.  We must reach a specific framework with all other Iranian political opposition organizations, or at least the majority of them, so that we can work together on a specific program and drive forward this struggle so that it meets the aspirations of the people.  How long will the current protests last?  I think that until the people unite, the Islamic Republic regime will continue to strongly suppress the protests. For the struggle to continue, two issues must be at the forefront: first, the democratic and freedom-loving opposition in Iran must come up with a joint agenda and be capable of directing and uniting the people.   Second, the people must strengthen their perseverance and not despair. They must remain on the streets because the ouster of the Islamic Republic demands a lot of resistance and sacrifices.  There is no doubt that the protests will continue. We will again see these kinds of protests and perhaps, they will be more widespread. An Iranian Islamic Republic with such an ideology is incapable of meeting the demands of the people and gaining their approval.  The people have spent years being patient and now, they have lost everything. The time for tolerance and patience is over and the situation in Iran can no longer persist the way it has been.  The Islamic Republic has long portrayed protests demanding freedom as enemies and as being anti-Islamic. The approach may have been believable at first due to ignorance, but now, no one believes the accusations.  As you can see, the situation is not about the KDPI or other opposition groups. Even the issue of women’s hair and the hijab is being blamed on Israel, the United States and enemies of Iran. The Islamic Republic is not ready to meet the demands of the people. It immediately quells any opposition voice, even if it were a whisper, instead of listening, assuming responsibility and taking measures for the people, their comfort and freedoms.  How do you assess the role of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in suppressing the current protests, especially in Kurdistan and Balochistan?  Damning evidence and reports have shown the oppressive role played by the security forces, including the Revolutionary Guards, in Balochistan and Kurdistan, especially over the past 100 days. A large number of people have been martyred, wounded, arrested and executed in recent days.  How do you view the role of women in the recent protests and their general standing in the struggles of the people of Iranian Kurdistan?  The women of Iranian Kurdistan have taken part in the struggle for freedom alongside women throughout Iran. The latest movement has greatly underscored the importance of the women’s struggle. I believe women will be more active than ever before and they will be more influential in meeting their aspirations and those of the Iranian people.  What about Iran’s role in the region?  Iran has played an interventionist and hostile role. Iran’s foreign and regional policy is based on threatening its neighbors. And instead of helping the Islamic Republic in achieving its goals, the policy has backfired. The policy has led the majority of Arab countries to unite with Israel - instead of being hostile to it - against the Islamic Republic.  In other Arab countries where Shiites are the majority or where Shiite groups hold clout, such as Lebanon and Iraq, we have seen the people rise up against the Iranian policy of making their countries a haven for Shiites. The people there took to the streets to protest against the Islamic Republic’s violations and policies. I therefore, believe that the regime, even though it is portraying itself as very strong regionally, is in fact, in the worst political position.  Why do you think the new Iranian government wants to improve its ties with its neighbors?  The Iranian regime has no intention of improving these relations, but it wants to export its revolution to its neighbors. This policy is a main ideology of this regime. The Islamic Republic has repeatedly said that it is taking steps towards peace and reconciliation in the region, but at the same time, it has conspired against them and to destabilize them. Given the chance, the regime will conspire to topple the governments in the region and try to implement its ideology there.  The ideology is based on spreading Shiite Islam according to the Wilayet al-Faqih. It wants to spread this form of Islam in neighboring countries and other parts of the world. This is seen as a religious duty in the Islamic Republic.