The British government reported that Iran has strengthened its military presence and increased the number of checkpoints in the Kurdish region, especially along the border with Iraq.

Some sources have also reportedly claimed that security forces have begun occupying local facilities and establishments, including schools, The Caspian Post reports, citing The Jerusalem Post.

The bulletin does not specify whether the checkpoints were established in recent months, which would suggest they were introduced in response to reports that Kurdish groups were seeking to confront Tehran with backing from Washington.

Although restrictions have increased, the bulletin noted that fewer kolbars (cross-border couriers) were killed in 2025 than in the previous year. However, it attributed the decline in deaths to the Iran-Israel war, which prevented many kolbars from attempting the journey.