Exiles train to overthrow Tehran

Washington has warned that it will not tolerate Iran supporting armed groups fighting in Iraq, but in the far northeast of the country Al Jazeera discovered armed Iranian exiles training to overthrow the government in Tehran.

John Cookson visited members of the outlawed left-wing Kurdish-Iranian Komala group, in their base.

The group accuses the Islamic government of persecuting the country's ethnic minorities.

From their base the fighters cross the porous border into Iran to carry out attacks. Al Jazeera witnessed a group of highly motivated men carry out a mock attack on Iranian forces.

Komala, otherwise known as the Revolutionary Toilers of Iran, was founded in 1969, and is affiliated to the Communist party of Iran but has softened its left-wing stance in recent years.

The United States has become interested in working with the group and last year Abdullah Muhtadi, a senior representative of the party, travelled to Washington for a conference of Iranian minority groups.

"The change is possible and this is not the destiny of the Kurds to live under oppression. Yes, everybody feels that something is going to happen and something must happen," Muhtadi told Al Jazeera.

After 40 years in exile many of the group believe their time has come.

One Komala commander told Al Jazeera: "I can see the end ... I think it is going to be very soon."