Its armed groups are reportedly preparing for a possible ground attack against the Tehran regime in the northwestern part of the country, as part of a wider military escalation that includes US-Israeli air operations.
According to American and Israeli officials, as well as sources within the Kurdish organizations themselves, the goal would be to capture a specific area in Iranian Kurdistanso that to put pressure on the regime and to spark wider internal rebellion.
A few days before the start of the war, five anti-regime Kurdish Iranian organizations, based in Iraq, announced the creation of a joint coalition. They have thousands of gunmen along the Iranian-Iraqi border and have reportedly already moved hundreds of fighters into Iranian territory in preparation for a possible operation.
The backstory, as described by sources, includes alleged support from and cites . The idea of using Kurdish organizations for a ground invasion is said to have originally come from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with the CIA later joining the planning. At the same time, according to the same sources, Israel reportedly promised political support for future Kurdish autonomy in the event of the collapse of the Iranian regime.
The geopolitical consequences
However, there are reservations about both the military adequacy of the Kurdish forces and the geopolitical consequences of such an operation.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly said Washington was not arming the Kurds, while White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt clarified that President Trump has not approved a plan to support a ground attack.
At the same time, Trump has been in contact with Kurdish leaders in Iraq, including Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani, who reportedly expressed reservations about getting involved in an invasion of Iran. This report was originally reported by Axios and was supplemented by CNN.
On Tehran’s side, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghtsi contacted Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, expressing strong concern over the possible infiltration of Kurdish forces from Iraqi territory. Baghdad has assured that it will not allow its territory to be used for attacks against Iran.
Despite continued Israeli airstrikes on military positions in northwestern Iran, Kurdish groups deny that they have already launched a ground operation, although sources leave open the possibility of launching within the next few days, if given the “green light” by the United States.
