CIA Arms Kurdish Forces to Fuel Uprising in Iran

The CIA is actively working to arm Kurdish forces in Iraq with the goal of instigating a popular uprising within Iran, according to multiple sources familiar with the plan. This initiative comes as the Trump administration engages in discussions with Iranian opposition groups and Kurdish leaders regarding military support, amidst a backdrop of escalating tensions and conflict in the Middle East.

US Support for Kurdish Groups

The Trump administration has been in active discussions with Iranian opposition groups and Kurdish leaders in Iraq about providing them with military support, sources confirmed to CNN . Iranian Kurdish armed groups, numbering in the thousands, operate along the Iraq-Iran border, primarily within Iraq’s Kurdistan region. Several of these groups have publicly hinted at imminent action and urged Iranian military forces to defect.

Iranian Response and US-Kurdish Communication

In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been targeting Kurdish groups, stating on Tuesday that it had targeted Kurdish forces with dozens of drones . CIA support for these groups began several months prior to the current conflict, according to one source and a senior Kurdistan Regional Government official. President Donald Trump spoke directly with Mustafa Hijri, the president of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI), on Tuesday, a group that was recently targeted by the IRGC .

Potential Ground Operation

Iranian Kurdish opposition forces are expected to participate in a ground operation in Western Iran in the coming days . A source indicated that these militias anticipate support from both the US, and Israel. Discussions are too underway regarding potential US intelligence, weapons, and training support, as well as a possible no-fly zone .

White House Response and Concerns

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that President Trump had discussions with Kurdish leaders regarding the US base in northern Iraq, but confirmed that no agreement had been reached to arm and equip Iranian Kurdish fighters . However, Trump has offered conflicting remarks about the extent of support he is willing to provide to Iranian opposition groups, suggesting the outcome is “up to” them after the US and Israel’s bombing campaign .

Regional Implications and Concerns

Any attempt to arm Iranian Kurdish groups would require the cooperation of Iraqi Kurds to allow the transit of weapons and use Iraqi Kurdistan as a launching ground. Concerns have been raised by Iraqi officials, who fear escalating attacks and a potential security crisis . Turkey has also expressed concern, given its ongoing operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Iraqi Kurdistan, which is allied with one of the Iranian armed groups, the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) .

Historical Context

The US has a history of working with Kurdish groups in Iraq, including funding and training Kurdish fighters in Syria against Bashar al-Assad. Iranian Kurdish groups have engaged in a low-intensity conflict with Tehran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, seeking greater autonomy . Iran has previously struck targets in Erbil and launched attacks on Iranian Kurdish groups’ bases .