'Israel' backing Iranian Kurdish plans to seize Iran border areas: Reuters
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- ‘Israel’ reportedly backs Iranian Kurdish militias seeking to seize border towns amid US–‘Israeli’ war on Iran.
- Kurdish groups coordinating with the US, providing targeting intelligence, and preparing for cross-border operations.
‘Israel’ has reportedly supported Iranian Kurdish militias hoping to exploit the US–‘Israeli’ war on Iran to seize towns along the border, according to Reuters. The Kurdish factions, based in Iraq’s semi-autonomous region, are said to be coordinating with the US and providing targeting intelligence for air operations.
Three sources told Reuters that the initial aim of the militias is to capture Iranian towns such as Oshnavieh and Piranshahr. Thousands of fighters are reportedly gathering on the Iraqi side of the border, though they possess mostly light arms and lack the firepower for a full-scale insurgency.
Read more: Saudi, Kuwaiti leaders stress Gulf security amid Iranian attacks
'Israeli' engagement with the groups has been described as long-term, stretching back about a year, while recent coordination with the US focuses on providing tactical support. Analysts caution that the Kurdish offensive could distract Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps but lacks broad support among Iraqi and Iranian Kurds.
Five Iranian Kurdish dissident groups, including the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), and the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), have formed an alliance to coordinate potential actions. While the groups seek a semi-autonomous region in a federal Iran, Iraqi Kurdistan’s leadership has publicly refused to send fighters or assist in the operations.
The sources said Kurdish leaders are wary of being “betrayed” as in northern Syria and have requested guarantees from the US before launching any offensive. Observers warn that any uprising could inflame nationalism and complicate regional dynamics, particularly with Turkey and Iraq opposing separatist movements among ethnic Kurds.
