WASHINGTON – The United States has been in consultation with Iranian Kurdish militias in recent days about potentially launching attacks against Iran's security forces in the western part of the country, according to three sources with knowledge of the discussions The development suggests a possible new phase in the US-Iran conflict, potentially expanding it to a ground-level insurgency following recent US-Israeli aerial strikes
The discussions have reportedly centered on whether and how a coalition of Iranian Kurdish groups, based in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq, could mount an offensive The stated goal of such an operation would be to weaken Iran's military and create an opening for a domestic uprising after the recent strikes reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior officials, two of the sources said The Iranian Kurdish groups have been training for such an attack, though a final decision on the operation and its timing has not yet been made
While the talks are ongoing, the strategy is viewed with considerable skepticism. An analysis from France 24 highlighted the risks for Kurdish groups entering into such an alliance, suggesting the "notion that the Iranian Kurds could trust anything the Americans said would be pretty reckless" This reflects a historical context of mistrust and perceived unreliability of US commitments in the region, adding a layer of uncertainty to the potential operation The sources spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter freely
Mohsin Rana
