Peshmerga

Peshmerga
پێشمەرگه
Flag of Kurdistan Region
MottoEy Reqîb[1]
Founded1920s/1946
Current form2003–present
HeadquartersErbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
Websitegov.krd/mopa
Leadership
President of Kurdistan RegionNechirvan Barzani
Minister of Peshmerga AffairsShoresh Ismail Abdulla
Personnel
Military age21–41
ConscriptionNone
Active personnel138,000 (planned end strength by 2026; current estimates 150,000–200,000)[2][3]
Industry
Domestic suppliers AAC Inkas[4] Republic of Iraq (sometimes)[5]
Foreign suppliers
Current:
Former:
Related articles
History19th century - 21st century
  • Before 2003:
    • Mehmûd Berzencî revolts
    • Ehmed Barzanî revolt
    • 1943 Barzanî revolt
    • First Iraqi–Kurdish War
    • Second Iraqi–Kurdish War
    • PUK insurgency
    • Iran–Iraq War
    • 1983–1986 Kurdish rebellions
    • Kurdistan Region–PKK conflict
    • Anfal campaign
    • Gulf War
    • 1991 Iraqi uprisings
    • Battle of Sulaymaniyah
    • Kurdish Civil War
    • Islamist insurgency in Kurdistan
  • After 2003:
    • 2003 invasion of Iraq
    • Operation Viking Hammer
    • First Iraq War
    • Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011)
    • Iraqi civil war (2006–2008)
    • Iraqi insurgency (2011–2013)
    • War in Iraq (2013–2017)
    • US intervention in the Syrian civil war
    • 2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict
    • Islamic State insurgency in Iraq (2017–present)
    • Operation Inherent Resolve[2]
    • Kurdistan Region–PKK conflict
    • Attacks on US bases during the Gaza war
RanksMilitary ranks of the Peshmerga

The Peshmerga (Kurdish: پێشمەرگه, romanized: Pêşmerge, lit. ''Those Who Face Death'')[28] are the internal security forces of Kurdistan Region. According to the Constitution of Iraq, regional governments are responsible for "the establishment and organization of the internal security forces for the region such as police, security forces, and guards of the region".[29] Other Kurdish security agencies include the Zêrevanî (gendarmerie), Asayish (security and counterterrorism service), and the Parastin u Zanyarî (intelligence agency). The Peshmerga's history dates back to the 18th century, when they began as a tribal paramilitary border guard under the Ottoman Turks and the Safavid Kurds. By the 19th century, they had evolved into a disciplined and well-trained guerrilla force.[30]

Formally, the Peshmerga are under the command of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs (MoPA) of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). In practice, however, the Peshmerga's structure is largely divided and controlled separately by the two Iraqi Kurdish political parties: the Democratic Party of Kurdistan (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Unifying and integrating the Peshmerga under the MoPA has been on the Kurdistan Region's public agenda since 1992, with significant progress under a 2022 U.S.-KRG Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aiming for full unification by 2026, though challenges like partisanship and external threats persist.[31][2][32]

Besides being the official name for the KRG's internal security forces, historically the word Peshmerga has also been used for a variety of Kurdish militas and armed groups. A few examples are the Peshmerga of the KDPI, PAK and Komala.[33]

  1. ^ "Hundreds of Christians join Peshmerga". Kurdistan24. February 19, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d "Lead Inspector General Report on Operation Inherent Resolve Q2 FY2025" (PDF). U.S. Department of State Office of Inspector General. May 2025. pp. 49–50. Retrieved August 20, 2025. The planned end strength for Peshmerga under the MoPA's command is 138,000.
  3. ^ "Peshmerga Ministry Nears Completion of Force Unification". Kurdistan24. August 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  4. ^ "Iraq's AAC Inkas "Copies" Turkish Armored Vehicle". Defense Mirror. September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
  5. ^ "Iraq supplies Kurds with ammunition in unprecedented move, U.S. says". Reuters. August 9, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "The Status of Western Military Aid to Kurdish Peshmerga Forces". Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  7. ^ Pollard, Ruth (September 11, 2014). "Australian-supplied weapons have reached the Kurdish frontline". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  8. ^ "Austria to provide Peshmerga with medical support". Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  9. ^ "L'aide belge aux Peshmergas est prête à partir vers l'Irak". RTBF Info (in French). February 24, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  10. ^ "България е изпратила на кюрдите в Ирак автомати и патрони за 6 млн. лева". Mediapool.bg (in Bulgarian). September 30, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  11. ^ "Cyprus could send more light arms, ammunition to Kurdistan: FM". Kurdistan24. November 11, 2017. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  12. ^ "Czech Rifles and Ammunition for the Peshmerga. Prague Supporting the Fight Against Daesh Again – Defence24.com". www.defence24.com (in Czech). January 27, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  13. ^ "Forsvarsavisen 01" (PDF) (in Danish). Ministry of Defense. p. 3. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  14. ^ a b Jan Joel Andersson and Florence Gaub (2015). "Adding fuel to the fire? Arming the Kurds" (PDF). Issue Alert. 37. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  15. ^ "Finland increases military support to Kurdistan". Kurdistan24. September 16, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  16. ^ "Greece to send ammunition to Iraqi Kurds". Archived from the original on September 22, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  17. ^ "Assistant Head of DFR and Indian Ambassador discuss areas of cooperation". dfr.gov.krd. April 20, 2017. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  18. ^ a b Arash Reisinezhad (2018). The Shah of Iran, the Iraqi Kurds, and the Lebanese Shia. Springer. p. 115. ISBN 978-3319899473.
  19. ^ a b "Dutch and Norwegians train Peshmerga on basic soldier skills". www.centcom.mil. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  20. ^ a b Guido Weiss (July 8, 2015). "Global Support for Peshmerga Forces". Kurdstrat. Archived from the original on January 3, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  21. ^ Mosul, Martin Chulov near (October 20, 2016). "Kurdish forces vow no retreat until Nineveh plains are retaken from Isis". The Guardian. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  22. ^ Hasan, H. A. (May 21, 2016). "Romania Pledges Continuous Support for Peshmerga". www.basnews.com. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  23. ^ Litovkin, Nikolai (March 18, 2016). "Russia delivers first weapons supplies to Iraqi Kurds". Russia Beyond. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  24. ^ "Inherent Resolve in northern Iraq". Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  25. ^ "Sweden will continue support for Peshmerga forces in Kurdistan: Defense Minister". Kurdistan24. May 10, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  26. ^ "New Pentagon Budget Request Shows Increased Support for Peshmerga". Kurdistan Chronicle. March 13, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2025. The 2025 Defense Budget Request includes a huge increase in support for the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs.
  27. ^ a b The Mitrokhin archive. II : the KGB and the world. London: Penguin. 2014. ISBN 978-0141977980.
  28. ^ "Peshmerga and the Ongoing Fight against ISIS". March 27, 2016. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  29. ^ "Constitution of Iraq" (PDF).
  30. ^ Lortz, Michael G. (2005). Willing to Face Death: A History of Kurdish Military Forces – the Peshmerga – from the Ottoman Empire to Present-Day Iraq (MA thesis). Florida State University.
  31. ^ van Wilgenburg, Wladimir; Fumerton, Mario (December 16, 2015). "Kurdistan's Political Armies: The Challenge of Unifying the Peshmerga Forces" (PDF). Carnegie Middle East Center. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  32. ^ "U.S. Voices Frustration Over Stalled Peshmerga Reform in Kurdistan". Peregraf. August 1, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025. Despite formal commitments, Peshmerga units remain fragmented along party lines, with little meaningful progress toward true unification.
  33. ^ Smith, Crispin (2018). Independent Without Independence: The IraqiKurdish Peshmerga in International Law* (PDF) (Volume 59, Number 1 ed.). Harvard University. p. 248.
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