WASHINGTON – Kurdish militia groups from Iran have been holding discussions with United States officials regarding possible military strikes against Iranian security forces operating in the country’s western regions, according to three knowledgeable sources.
The coalition of Iranian Kurdish organizations, operating from bases along the Iran-Iraq border within Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region, has been preparing for such military action with the aim of diminishing Iran’s armed forces capabilities. This preparation coincides with ongoing US and Israeli bombardment of Iranian positions.
According to two sources, the objective behind such an operation would be to provide space for Iranian citizens opposing the Islamic government to stage an uprising, particularly following the deaths of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior officials since the US-Israeli offensive commenced Saturday.
Sources speaking anonymously about classified military discussions indicated that no final determination has been reached regarding the operation or when it might occur.
The Kurdish organizations have made requests for American military assistance, while leaders in both Erbil and Baghdad have maintained communication with the Trump administration recently, the sources revealed.
Two sources confirmed that the groups are negotiating with the United States for CIA assistance in obtaining weaponry.
CNN initially reported the CIA’s participation with these groups and the possible ground operation. Axios reported this week that President Trump conducted a phone conversation with two leading figures from Iraqi Kurdistan.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the scope of CIA participation in operational planning, whether weapons had been provided, or if any American personnel would accompany Kurdish forces into Iran.
The CIA refused to provide comment. Neither the White House nor the Pentagon responded immediately to requests for comment.
The Kurdish Regional Government also did not respond immediately to comment requests.
Any military operation launched from Iraq would likely need substantial American military and intelligence backing.
The Pentagon reports that two US installations in Erbil have provided support for the international coalition combating Islamic State fighters.
Kurdish organizations in Iraqi Kurdistan maintain extensive historical cooperation with the US, though their changing loyalties and political philosophies have occasionally created tension with Washington.
America collaborated with certain Kurdish groups in Iraq during both the Iraq War and the campaign against ISIS.
However, the potential effectiveness of Iranian Kurdish groups in combat within Iran remains uncertain. The organizations’ fighters possess different levels of battlefield experience.
A source referenced by CNN explained that the strategy would involve Kurdish armed forces engaging Iranian security personnel to facilitate civilian uprisings in Iranian urban areas.
Regional reactions to such a Kurdish operation in Iran remain unclear.
Armed resistance by Iranian Kurds could significantly impact Iran’s internal stability.
Such action might intensify an existing armed separatist movement among Iran’s ethnic Baluch population, which maintains connections with separatists in Pakistan’s unstable Baluchistan province.
Islamabad would be unlikely to accept any movement toward Baluch independence.
Turkey, which strongly supports Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, views the integration agreement between Damascus and Kurdish forces as essential for reestablishing government control throughout Syria.
Turkey had previously threatened its own military intervention against the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Forces in northern Syria if the group refused to accept central government authority.
Ankara has been advancing its ongoing peace efforts with the banned Kurdistan Workers Party and would likely oppose arming Kurdish groups near its borders.
