Iranian Kurdish militant groups have held discussions with the United States in recent days about the possibility of launching attacks against Iranian security forces in western Iran, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
The groups, based along the Iran-Iraq border in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq, have been preparing for a potential operation aimed at weakening Tehran’s security apparatus as the United States and Israel continue to strike Iranian military targets.
According to two of the sources, the proposed operation is intended to create momentum for broader unrest inside Iran following the deaths of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior officials during the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military campaign.
No final decision has been taken on whether such an operation will proceed or when it might take place, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions.
The Kurdish groups have requested U.S. military assistance, and political leaders in both Erbil and Baghdad have also been in contact with the administration of President Donald Trump in recent days regarding the situation.
Two sources said the talks have included discussions about potential CIA support in supplying weapons to the Kurdish factions. However, it remains unclear whether U.S. forces would participate directly in any ground operation inside Iran.
The CIA declined to comment on the reports, while the White House and Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Officials from the Kurdish Regional Government also did not respond.
CNN earlier reported on the CIA’s possible involvement with the Kurdish groups, while Axios said President Trump had recently spoken by phone with two senior leaders of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region.
Any cross-border operation launched from Iraq would likely require significant U.S. intelligence and military support. The Pentagon maintains two bases in Erbil that have been used to support the international coalition against the Daesh/ISIS terror group.
Kurdish factions in northern Iraq have historically cooperated with the United States, including during the Iraq War and later during operations against ISIS. However, shifting political alliances and ideological differences have at times complicated those partnerships.
It remains uncertain how effective Iranian Kurdish fighters would be in combat operations inside Iran, as their units vary widely in size, capability and battlefield experience.
According to a source cited by CNN, the concept being discussed would involve Kurdish armed groups engaging Iranian security forces in order to create conditions for civilian uprisings in Iran’s major cities.
Such a scenario could have broader regional consequences. Analysts warn that Kurdish armed action inside Iran could energize separatist movements among the country’s ethnic minorities, including Baluch groups that maintain links with militants in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province.
Pakistan would likely strongly oppose any development that could encourage Baluch separatism.
Regional reactions could also be complicated by Turkey’s security concerns regarding Kurdish armed groups. Ankara has long opposed Kurdish militant movements near its borders and has carried out multiple military operations against Kurdish fighters in Syria and Iraq.
Turkey has also sought to stabilize northern Syria through arrangements integrating Kurdish forces into the Syrian state, and it remains engaged in a delicate process aimed at reducing tensions with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Given these dynamics, any Kurdish military operation against Iran could further heighten tensions across an already volatile region.