WRITER: HANI BALOCH
During the 1991–92 Gulf War, Kurdish forces aligned with the United States and its allies against Saddam Hussein’s regime. Their timely mobilization significantly weakened Iraqi military control, enabling the Kurds to reclaim large portions of their historical homeland. By securing Erbil and other key cities and strategic areas, Kurdish fighters laid the foundation for what eventually became the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) a self-governing entity with its own institutions and armed forces, the Peshmerga.
Today, Iran appears to be on the brink of serious internal instability. Widespread protests continue to challenge the authority of the theocratic regime, while the prospect of further U.S. action including the possibility of direct military intervention, cannot be dismissed. A broader conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States remains a real possibility. Such a scenario could result in the fragmentation of Iran into multiple political entities, particularly along ethnic and regional lines.
Within this volatile context, the Baloch people may be approaching a historic turning point. Iran’s deepening entanglement in regional conflicts, combined with escalating domestic unrest, is steadily weakening its control over peripheral regions most notably Iranian-occupied Western Balochistan.
This evolving situation presents a critical opportunity for Baloch leadership, policymakers, and educated youth to reassess long-term strategic options. There is an urgent need to explore realistic pathways toward full independence, enhanced autonomy comparable to the KRG model, or at the very least, to establish the political and institutional foundations necessary for future self-determination. Coordinated and decisive efforts to assert control over key cities from Zahedan to Chabahar and other strategic locations in Western Balochistan could significantly alter the balance of power on the ground.
Historically, the Iranian state has systematically marginalized and oppressed the Baloch people while actively supporting the division and occupation of Balochistan. Its collaboration with Pakistan against Baloch national aspirations further underscores a long-standing pattern of hostility toward Baloch self-rule. In this context, a weakening Iranian state presents a rare and critical window to assert Baloch rights and advance the principle of self-determination under international law.
Moreover, meaningful progress in Western Balochistan would likely energize the movement in Eastern Balochistan, strengthening the broader Baloch national struggle across the region. This is a defining moment—one that demands unity, strategic foresight, disciplined leadership, and proactive engagement with the international community.
Now is the time to act wisely and collectively. Baloch leaders must urgently convene, mobilize their people, seek international support, reclaim control of Baloch cities from Iranian occupation, and work toward the realization of a free, secular, and independent Baloch Republic.
