US in talks with Iranian Kurds over operation to stoke uprising,
Nick Augustine
Editor-in-Chief
The United States and Israel hope to spark a widespread popular uprising by allowing Kurdish fighters in Iran to conduct ground operations against the regime, according to sources familiar with the plans.
A coalition of Kurdish militias in western Iran has reportedly discussed the requirements for such an attack with US officials in recent days, the people told Reuters. The Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in Iran.
Iranian Kurdish groups have thousands of fighters in the border region with the autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq. CNN also reports that the US intelligence agency, the CIA, plans to further arm the groups. This will require cooperation with Kurdish leaders. US President Donald Trump spoke with key figures in the autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq on Sunday, according to the Axios news website.
Any arms shipments would have to pass through Iraqi Kurdistan territory. US bases in Erbil, in the north of the autonomous Kurdistan region, could provide operational and logistical support to Kurdish groups in the region, and this was introduced by Netanyahu as a driving force. According to an anonymous official, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to be one of the driving forces behind the plan to create a large-scale uprising in Iran through Kurdish militias.
Therefore, Israeli airstrikes on Iran in recent days have specifically targeted targets along the border with Iraq. This should enable Iranian Kurdish groups to advance.
The idea is that if Kurdish fighters can occupy the Iranian army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, there may be room for Iranian civilians to revolt in the cities.
Mutual trust is fragile,
Sources emphasize that such an operation is not without risk. For example, it is not clear whether the Iranian-Kurdish groups have or can acquire sufficient resources to act and whether they are ready to fight. Moreover, it is unclear whether such an uprising would garner enough support to undermine the Iranian regime.
Mutual trust between the militias and the United States is also said to be weak. Many Kurds in the region have negative memories of the 1991 uprising in Iraq.
At the end of the Gulf War, US President George H. W. Bush called on the Iraqi people, including the Kurds, to rise up against dictator Saddam Hussein. This happened, and was initially successful. But US support failed to materialize, and the Iraqi army managed to suppress the uprisings.
Neighbouring countries fear an uprising
Further unrest in Iran as a result of a ground offensive by Kurdish groups would likely be unwelcome for its neighbours as well. Turkey has traditionally been strongly opposed to the presence of armed Kurdish fighters in its vicinity. For example, the US arming of Kurdish militias in Syria has been a thorn in Turkey’s side for years.
In addition, the Ankara government is still resolving the conflict with the Kurdish resistance movement PKK, which is designated as a terrorist organization. The group decided to disband last year after four decades of fighting against the Turkish government.
Pakistan will also view with suspicion possible operations by Kurdish fighters in Iran. The government fears that such an insurgency could inspire other groups. The anti-Pakistan militant group BLF is active in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province. The group is pushing for an independent Baluchistan state.
Pakistan and Iran clashed over this issue in 2024. You can read more about this in the article below.