Bafel Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in Iraq, has said that despite mounting tensions in Iran, he does not see a change of regime occurring at this stage.
"At the moment, regime change doesn't look on the cards from what I see," he said, speaking to Fox News on Friday, adding that he expects tensions to escalate following the attacks by Israel and the US on Iran.
Talabani also revealed that he had a phone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
"He indicated that this wasn't a war they were looking forward to, but it was a war they would have to fight. It's definitely existential to them. I got the impression that they were open to some form of peaceful negotiation, which realistically is the only real solution to this issue," Talabani said.
Addressing the possibility of unconditional surrender by Tehran, Talabani said, "I don't see that right now. I think the regime has been planning for this for 45 years, and you can expect a fierce resistance."
When asked to compare Iran's current situation to Iraq before 2003, Talabani said: "In 2003, there was legitimate, well-known, respected opposition to Saddam among the Shiites, among the Kurds, and we don't really see that in Iran now. There isn't a standard, a symbol for people to follow, and that will make it very difficult," he said.
On the question of whether Iraq has conducted cross-border operations involving Iranian Kurds, Talabani responded: "Not that I see. And you could argue that's actually a detriment. Iranians, like everybody else, are very nationalistic persons, and I believe that if they fear that Kurds coming in from elsewhere will cause a split or a splintering of their country, this may actually unify the people against this separatist movement."
Talabani also assessed Iran's internal system, saying: "What I see now is a weakened Iranian system, but the institutions, though very different from ours, are institutions and they remain solid. I think that once military objectives are achieved, I dare say that it will be the time for diplomacy."
In recent days, US and Israeli media reported that the US administration has been engaging with Iranian armed groups in Iraq and providing support against Tehran. American officials have denied these reports.
Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since the US and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,000 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and over 150 schoolgirls, and senior military officials.
Iran has retaliated with sweeping barrages of its own that have targeted US bases, diplomatic facilities, and military personnel across the region, as well as multiple Israeli cities.
