Statement by PDKI on the Negotiations Between the US and Iran
The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) is closely monitoring the commencement of negotiations between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan. These talks should not be misconstrued as a genuine step toward peace, but rather understood as a continuation of a familiar pattern of political maneuvering at the international level.
The composition of the Islamic Republic’s delegation underscores the true character of the regime: a security-driven and militarized system that employs diplomacy as an instrument to advance its repressive and interventionist agenda. The delegation is headed by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a senior figure associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and a central actor in the regime’s security and military establishment, including its nuclear and missile programs. His leadership reflects the systemic fusion of military authority and political power within the Islamic Republic.
Equally concerning is the inclusion of Mohammad Jafari Sahraroudi, an individual directly linked to the assassination of Dr. Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou. Sahraroudi is subject to an international arrest warrant. His presence is not incidental; rather, it is indicative of a governing doctrine in which acts of terrorism are integrated into statecraft and impunity remains a defining feature of the regime’s conduct. The inclusion of such individuals at an international negotiating table constitutes a clear affront to the United States delegation, to the principles of justice, to the victims of terrorism, and to the most fundamental ethical and legal norms governing international relations.
This delegation cannot be regarded as a conventional diplomatic body. It represents an extension of a system characterized by organized violence, political repression, and extraterritorial operations. Engagement with such a structure risks conferring legitimacy on practices that include terrorism, hostage-taking, and systematic violations of human rights. In this context, the United States, having designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization, faces legitimate scrutiny regarding its approach.
Decades of experience demonstrate that the Islamic Republic has consistently used negotiations not as a means of resolving disputes, but as a strategy to gain time, consolidate its position, and perpetuate destabilizing policies.
The PDKI reiterates that any agreement with the Islamic Republic that fails to incorporate mechanisms for accountability and does not recognize the rights of victims will be viewed as contributing to injustice.
The international community and democratic states face a clear and consequential choice: to stand with the peoples of Iran and Kurdistan, and with the victims of repression and terrorism, or to engage in a manner that risks enabling a regime whose policies are fundamentally at odds with international norms.
The PDKI calls for the legal prosecution of those responsible for acts of state-sponsored terrorism, the application of sustained and effective political pressure, and meaningful support for the pursuit of freedom and justice by the people. Any diplomatic engagement with the Islamic Republic must be grounded in these principles.
Durable peace in the region will not be achieved through negotiations that overlook accountability, but through the establishment of justice and an end to impunity.
Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI)
Executive Committee
11 April 2026
