Kurds in Iran
Kurds in Iran are the third largest ethnic group in Iran after Persians and Iranian Azerbaijanis, comprising about 10% of the country's population according to the CIA in 2014.
Geographic distribution
or Eastern Kurdistan, is an unofficial name for the parts of western Iran inhabited by Kurds which borders Iraq and Turkey. It includes the Kurdistan Province, Kermanshah Province, West Azerbaijan Province, Ilam Province, Lorestan Province and West Azerbaijan Province.Shia Feyli Kurds inhabit Kermanshah Province, except for those parts where people are Jaff, and Ilam Province; as well as some parts of Kurdistan and Hamadan provinces. The Kurds of Khorasan, in the North Khorasan Province of northeastern Iran, are Shi'ite Muslims. The Laki tribe populate parts of Ilam Province and Lorestan Province, while Chegini Kurds reside in central Lorestan.
During the Iranian Revolution, Kurdish nationalist political parties were unsuccessful in attracting support, who at that time had no interest in autonomy. However, since the 1990s, Kurdish nationalism in the region has grown, partly due to outrage at the government's violent suppression of Kurdish activism.
Religion
The two major religions among Kurds in Iran are Islam and Yarsanism, while fewer Kurds adhere to Baháʼí and Judaism. There is disagreement on which is the largest denomination among Kurds; some experts such as Richard N. Frye and Martin van Bruinessen argue that Sunni Islam is the majority religion, while researcher Anu Leinonen believes it is the Twelver branch of Shia Islam.Pockets of Sunni Kurds belong to the Qadiriyya tariqa. These orders have experienced repression from the state, including the destruction of their places of worship. Yarsanis are also targeted by the central government.
Separatism
Kurdish separatism in Iran is weaker than Kurdish separatism in the other parts of Kurdistan, possibly because of the stronger cultural links between Kurds and Persians. Even so, there has been sporadic separatist conflict since 1918, most recently during the 2016 West Iran clashes. Today, some of the main protagonists are the Kurdistan Free Life Party, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, and the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan.Tribes
| Tribe | Kurdish and Persian names | Geography | Notes |
| Ali Sherwan | عه‌لی شیروان ئایل علیشروان | Ilam Province | Southern Kurdish–speaking |
| Amar | عمار عمارلو | Gilan Province, Greater Khorasan and Qazvin Province | Kurmanji–speaking |
| Arkawâzi | ئه‌رکه‌وازی ارکوازی | Ilam Province | Southern Kurdish–speaking |
| Badreh | بەدرە بدره‌ای | Ilam Province | |
| Balavand | بالاوند | Ilam Province | |
| Beiranvand | Bîranwend,بیرانوەند بیرانوند | Between Aleshtar and Khorramabad; Bayranshahr. | Laki–speaking. |
| Chahardoli | چاردولی | Hamadan Province and West Azerbaijan Province | Laki–speaking |
| Chalabianlu | چلبیانلو | East Azerbaijan Province | |
| Chegini | Çengînî,چەگینی چگنی | Between Khorramabad and the Kashgan river. | Chegini dialect |
| Dehbalai | بالایی | Ilam Province | |
| Delikan | دلیکانلو | Ardabil Province | Turkophone |
| Dilfan | Dilfan,دیلفان دلفان | Around Delfan County. Present in Ilam and Mazandaran provinces as well. | Laki–speaking |
| Donboli | Dimilî,دونبەلی دنبلی | Khoy and Salmas area. | Turkophone |
| Falak al-Din | فلک ئالدین | Hamadan Province | Laki–speaking |
| Eyvan | ئه‌یوان ايوان | Ilam Province | |
| Feyli | Feylî,فه‌یلی فیلی | Ilam Province. | Southern Kurdish–speaking. |
| Ghiasvand | قیاسوند | Hamadan Province | Laki–speaking |
| Guran | Goran,گۆران گوران | Hawraman region | Gorani–speaking. |
| Hasanvand | حەسەنوەند حسنوند | Around Aligudarz, Khorramabad and Borujerd. | Laki–speaking. |
| Herki | Herkî,ھەرکی هرکی | Western countryside of Urmia in the Targavar and Margavar valleys. | Kurmanji–speaking. |
| Jaff | Caf,جاف جاف | From Sanandaj to Kermanshah with Javanrud as area of origin. | Sorani–speaking. |
| Jalali | Celalî,جەلالیان جلالی | Around Maku. | Kurmanji–speaking. |
| Jalilavand | Celalwend,جەلیلوەند جلیلوند | Around Dinavar and in Lorestan Province. | Laki–speaking. |
| Kakavand | Kakewend,کاکەوەن کاکاوند | Kermanshah, Harsin area, and Kakavand District, Delfan. | Laki–speaking. |
| Kalhori | Kelhûr,کەڵھوڕ کلهر | Around Eslamabad-e Gharb, Qasr-e Shirin and Gilan-e Gharb. Ilam Province | Southern Kurdish–speaking. |
| Khezel | خه‌زه‌ل خزل | Ilam Province | Southern Kurdish–speaking |
| Kolivand | كليوند | Ilam Province | |
| Kordshuli | Kurdşûlî کردشولی | Fars Province | Laki–speaking |
| Kuruni | Kûranî کورونی | Fars Province | |
| Malekshahi | Melekşahî ملکشاهی | Ilam Province | Southern Kurdish–speaking |
| Mamash | Mamaş,مامش مامش | Southern parts of West Azerbaijan. | Sorani–speaking. |
| Mangur | Mangûr,مەنگوڕ منگور | Around Piranshahr, Mahabad, Sardasht and Bukan in West Azerbaijan. | Sorani–speaking. |
| Milan | Mîlan,میلان میلان | North of Zurabad in northern West Azerbaijan | Kurmanji–speaking. |
| Mukri | Mukrî,موکری مکری | Around Baneh, Mahabad, Piranshahr and Saqqez. | Sorani–speaking. |
| Musavand | موسی وند | Hamadan Province | Laki–speaking |
| Qolugjan | Ardabil Province | ||
| Reşwan | Reşwan,ڕەشوان رشوند | Gilan Province, Greater Khorasan and Qazvin Province | Kurmanji–speaking |
| Rizehvand | ریزه وند | Ilam Province | |
| Sanjâbi | Sencabî,سنجاوی سنجابی | Western parts of Kermanshah Province. | Southern Kurdish-speaking. |
| Shaqaqi | Şeqaqî,شەقاقی شقاقی | East Azerbaijan Province | |
| Shatran | شاترانلو | Ardabil Province | |
| Shekak | Şikak,شکاک شکاک | Western countryside of Urmia. | Kurmanji–speaking. |
| Shuhan | شوهان | Ilam Province | Southern Kurdish–speaking |
| Torkashvand | ترکاشوند | Hamadan Province | Laki–speaking |
| Uriad | اوریاد | Fars Province | |
| Zangana | Zengine,زەنگەنە زنگنه | South of Kermanshah. | Southern Kurdish–speaking. |
| Zola | زۆلا زوله | Hamadan Province | Laki–speaking |