EditTrump courts Kurds for ground operations in Iran as Turkey fumes
American intelligence agencies, particularly the CIA, have pursued parallel diplomatic and operational channels with Kurdish factions
The United States is intensifying its military campaign against Iran through Operation Epic Fury, engaging in high-level discussions with Kurdish groups that could significantly escalate the conflict and strain relations with a key NATO ally, Turkey.
As airstrikes continue to target Iranian military infrastructure, covert efforts to arm and coordinate with Kurdish militias signal a potential shift toward ground operations and internal regime change.
The ongoing U.S.-led intervention, which began on 28 February with coordinated strikes alongside Israel, has focused on dismantling Iran’s missile capabilities, air defences, naval assets, and command structures. President Donald Trump has described the operation as a decisive effort to eliminate threats from the Iranian regime, including its nuclear ambitions and proxy networks. U.S. forces have conducted precise, overwhelming attacks, with officials emphasizing that the mission remains laser-focused rather than open-ended.
Amid this aerial bombardment, American intelligence agencies, particularly the CIA, have pursued parallel diplomatic and operational channels with Kurdish factions. Recent reports by Reuters and CNN indicate active consultations between U.S. officials and Iranian Kurdish militias operating along the Iraq-Iran border. These groups, numbering in the thousands and based primarily in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, have been approached about launching ground attacks on Iranian security forces in western Iran. The aim appears multifaceted: to pin down regime troops, create chaos that stretches military resources thin, and create conditions for unarmed Iranian civilians in major cities to mobilize without facing immediate, overwhelming repression.
The Kurdish people, numbering 25 to 30 million and spread across Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Armenia, represent a stateless ethnic minority with rich cultural diversity, predominantly Sunni Muslim traditions, and varied dialects. Their aspirations for greater autonomy or rights have repeatedly intersected with great-power politics, often with mixed outcomes.
Kurdish involvement and strategic calculations
President Trump has personally engaged with Kurdish leaders in recent days. On Sunday, as reported by Axios, he spoke by phone with prominent Iraqi Kurdish figures, including Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani, to discuss the progression of the U.S. military operation in Iran and potential areas of cooperation.
Additionally, as reported by CNN, Trump held a conversation with Mustafa Hijri, president of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI), one of the groups recently targeted by Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) drone strikes. These interactions underscore the administration’s outreach to regional allies who could play a pivotal role on the ground.
Iranian Kurdish armed groups have issued public statements since the conflict’s onset, urging Iranian forces to defect and hinting at imminent action. Sources familiar with the discussions suggest that these militias anticipate substantial U.S. and Israeli support for a forthcoming ground operation in northwest Iran. Such involvement could include arming the Kurds to seize and hold territory, potentially establishing a buffer zone beneficial to Israel while diverting Iranian attention from other fronts.
The strategy draws on historical U.S. reliance on Kurdish forces. For decades, the CIA and U.S. military have maintained close ties with Iraqi Kurdish factions, including an outpost near the Iran border and a consulate in Erbil. Kurds played a crucial role in combating ISIS in Iraq and Syria, guarding detention facilities and bearing significant burdens in the anti-ISIS campaign. However, past collaborations have left lingering distrust; many Kurds feel abandoned by abrupt U.S. policy shifts, such as troop withdrawals in Syria during Trump’s first term, which contributed to the resignation of then-Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis.
Analysts view the current outreach as an attempt to “jump-start” an internal uprising in Iran. Alex Plitsas, a former senior Pentagon official and CNN national security analyst, noted that arming Iranian Kurds could inspire broader resistance, given that most Iranians remain unarmed and face formidable security services.
Yet experts caution that success is far from assured. U.S. intelligence assessments have long indicated that Iranian Kurdish groups lack the widespread influence or resources needed to ignite a nationwide revolt. Moreover, these factions remain fractured, with competing ideologies, historical tensions, and self-interested motivations that may not fully align with American objectives.
Concerns also extend to regional sovereignty and long-term consequences. Jen Gavito, a former senior State Department official, highlighted risks to Iraqi stability, warning that empowering unaccountable militias could unleash unpredictable dynamics along porous borders.
Tensions with Turkey and broader implications
Any deepening U.S.-Kurdish partnership carries immediate complications for relations with Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a NATO partner, views many Kurdish groups – particularly those linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), as terrorists and existential threats. Turkey has long conducted operations against PKK bases in Iraq and against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria, which Ankara associates with the PKK.
Recent developments in Syria add layers of complexity. Following the fall of the previous regime and the rise of a new government in Damascus, Syrian forces, backed by Turkey, advanced into Kurdish-held areas in the northeast. The U.S. has adjusted its posture, noting that its alliance with the SDF has evolved and urging integration into state structures. Erdoğan welcomed a ceasefire agreement and called for the SDF’s full disarmament and disbandment to prevent further bloodshed.
In a significant parallel shift, the PKK itself announced in May 2025 its intention to disarm and dissolve after a call from imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan. This followed a unilateral ceasefire and marked a potential end to four decades of insurgency that claimed nearly 40,000 lives. While questions persist about Turkish concessions on Kurdish rights and the cessation of cross-border operations, the move has reshaped dynamics in the region.
Nevertheless, arming Iranian Kurdish groups could inflame Turkish sensitivities, especially if Iraqi Kurdistan serves as a transit or staging area for weapons and operations. Erdogan has engaged directly with Trump on Syria-related issues, describing their discussions as productive while reiterating demands for Kurdish disarmament to avoid escalation.
As the U.S. pursues its objectives in Iran, destroying offensive capabilities while exploring avenues for regime pressure, the involvement of Kurdish forces introduces both opportunity and peril. Success could accelerate internal collapse in Tehran – at the price of alienating the precious Turkish ally.
Sources: Reuters, CNN, Council on Foreign Relations, Middle East Policy Council
Caption: Protesters set fire to a banner showing US President Donald Trump during a protest against US-Israeli attacks on Iran, in Istanbul, Turkey, 1 March 2026. Iran officially confirmed on 1 March that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint US-Israeli military operation conducted on 28 February 2026. EPA/ERDEM SAHIN
Updated: March 4, 2026 - 12:20
