Why is Iran's Revolutionary Guard attacking Iraqi Kurdistan Region?
October 2, 2022, 6:53 pm

Why is Iran's Revolutionary Guard attacking Iraqi Kurdistan Region?

Zara Saleh1

After two weeks of women-led demonstrations that flooded across Iran following the death of the Kurdish girl Mahsa Amini by the morality police, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi blamed the "foreign enemy" standing behind the protests. Furthermore, with the growing calls for protests in 31 provinces of Iran, President Raisi spoke to the state media and again accused the "enemy" and said, "The enemy’s efforts at sedition in the country is a result of the fear they have of the system’s power and progress". He vowed to eliminate those who are encouraging and standing behind the protests.

Despite the fact that the anti-government demonstrations have swept completely across the country with participation of all ethnicities and people of Iran and not only by a Kurdish “nationalist”. Moreover, the first time the Iranians and women across the world have quickly shared in the outrage of the killing of Jina Amini, the Iran's Revolutionary Guard launched hundreds of missiles and drones on Iraqi Kurdistan Region. As a result of such brutal terrorist attacks against Kurds, tens of civilians have been killed including children and pregnant women who were among those victims as one of the missiles fell close to the primary school. Added to that, the Iran's Revolutionary Guard has officially declared that they were targeting "separatist terrorists" who were standing behind the riots. In other words, Iranian regime have accused Iranian Kurds who are living in Iraqi-Kurdistan as a refugee and who have fled Iran because of killing, oppression and dictatorship of sectarian regime of Iran which is a controversial to the Iranian authorities’ rhetoric.

As a way of revenge and also to take the attention outside about what is happening in Iran, the Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has launched a massive missiles attacks on Kurdish bases in Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Iranian Authorities believed that the protests first began in Kurdish areas as Mahsa Amini is a Kurdish from Saqez and that was the beginning of the spark of the protests across Iran. Furthermore, the Iranian regime thought that as the demonstrations started in Kurdistan and eventually the Kurdish Peshmerga who was based in Iraqi Kurdistan might possibly come back to Iran and support the protestors. The Revolutionary Guard attempted, by bombarding the Kurdish bases, to pay attention to the "foreign enemy" and to the "Kurdish separatists". Besides that, the Iranian regime has always been against Kurdish independence or any kind of Kurdish autonomy not only in Iran but in other parts of Kurdistan. That was another reason behind the Iranian attacks and crimes against Kurds in Iraq- Kurdistan. Iran and Turkey always have common interests and are sharing the same "Kurdish phobia" and are against Kurdish rights as both regimes continue their military operations in the Iraqi Kurdistan region and in Syrian Kurdistan as well, especially from the Turkish side. The four regimes in Iran, Turkey, Syria, and Iraq have already placed security agreements regarding fighting the Kurds.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard's attacks on Kurds in Iraqi Kurdistan are considered terrorist attacks and a war crime against civilian people in Kurdistan and the international community and the US should take such actions into their consideration and not only use it for its political interests to reach a new nuclear agreement with Iran.

BY: Zara Saleh

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.