CIA Backs Kurdish Forces Preparing Ground Attack on Iran

Multiple media reports say the Trump administration and the CIA have been in talks to arm or support Iranian Kurdish groups to spark uprisings, seize territory in northern Iran, and create a buffer that could help Israel.

“Kurdish dissident groups say they are preparing to join the fight against Iran with US support Kurdish Iranian dissident groups based in northern Iraq are preparing for a potential cross-border military operation in Iran, and the U”

ABC News

Al Jazeera notes that recent media reports, including CNN and Axios, say the Trump administration and the CIA have been in talks with multiple Kurdish groups about arming or supporting actions inside Iran to spark uprisings, seize territory in northern Iran, tie down Iranian forces, and potentially create a buffer that could help Israel.

ABC News

CNN reported that the CIA is working to arm Iranian Kurdish forces to help spark a popular uprising inside Iran, according to multiple sources.

ProtoThema said Kurdish armed groups, with backing from Israel’s Mossad and the U.S. CIA, are preparing for a possible ground attack on Iran.

Gulf News added that such moves could position those groups against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as part of ongoing reporting.

Reports describe thousands of Kurdish fighters massed along the Iraq–Iran border and preparations for possible cross-border operations.

CNN reported that Kurdish armed groups, based mainly in Iraq’s Kurdistan region along the Iraq–Iran border, number in the thousands.

Al Jazeera

News18 described thousands of Kurdish fighters based in Iraq’s Kurdistan region who are organized through talks with Kurdish leaders and Iranian opposition figures.

KOHA.net quoted a senior Kurdish official saying Kurdish militias plan to take part soon in a ground operation in western Iran and expect backing from the US and Israel.

The Daily Mail said hundreds of Iranian Kurdish fighters were moved from camps on the Iraqi side of the border into Iran as preparations reportedly begin for a possible offensive against Iranian forces.

The reports vary on scale and specific actions, with some outlets speaking of thousands massed while the Daily Mail reports hundreds moved.

The security environment along Iran’s western border has been volatile, with a mix of strikes on Kurdish bases and Iranian sites that sources link to the broader buildup.

“President Trump reportedly spoke by phone with Mustafa Hijri, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), a group targeted by the IRGC”

Balkanweb

myind.net reports a series of strikes has hit western Iran—especially Kurdistan province—targeting IRGC sites, police stations, border posts, communications towers and some civilian buildings.

News18 noted the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) was reportedly hit by dozens of IRGC drone strikes this week.

ynetnews described that recent strikes in western Iran and along the border reportedly target Iranian military and police positions to weaken the regime and prepare for a possible Kurdish incursion.

Gulf News recorded that Iran has previously struck Kurdish opposition bases in northern Iraq in response.

Any operation would require logistical access through Iraqi territory and faces official and political constraints.

myind.net says U.S. officials have held talks with Kurdish leaders about U.S. military basing in northern Iraq.

CNN

KOHA.net says any effort to arm or deploy Iranian Kurdish groups would require approval from Iraqi Kurdish authorities to move weapons through and use Iraqi Kurdistan as a launch base.

Gulf News reports that the White House denies approving specific insurgency plans.

The Daily Mail reports that Trump reportedly spoke with Masoud Barzani, Bafel Talabani and Mustafa Hijri, and that White House spokespeople have recently denied any approved plan to back a Kurdish offensive.

These reports conflict: some sources describe U.S. talks and reported contact with Kurdish leaders while official statements deny any approved plans to support a Kurdish offensive.

Analysts and intelligence assessments cited across outlets warn the approach carries serious risks and may be inadequate to achieve regime change.

Al Jazeera reports analysts say the plan is risky and poorly planned, and could ignite intra‑Iranian conflict, split Kurdish factions, antagonize neighbouring states (Türkiye, Syria, Iraq), and abandon local partners if the U.S. disengages.

CNN

The International Business Times notes U.S. intelligence assessments conclude Kurdish factions currently lack the resources to topple the government without substantial outside help.

Middle East Eye underlined uncertainty by saying the White House has not made a final decision.

Times Now added that Kurdish parties are also demanding political guarantees from the Trump administration before committing to action.

Taken together, these reports highlight fragmentation and caution among Kurdish leaders.