As the US continues to bomb Iranian targets as part of the ongoing Operation Epic Fury, intelligence agencies are also working with Iranian armed groups to prepare a ground operation or to provoke a popular uprising in the country.
According to Reuters, the US has been in contact with Iranian Kurdish militias in recent days about whether and how to attack Iranian security forces in the western part of the country.
The US is negotiating with the Kurds
An Iranian-Kurdish coalition of groups based on the Iran-Iraq border in the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan has been training to carry out such an attack, hoping to weaken the country’s military while the United States and Israel pound Iranian targets with bombs and missiles.
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Sources told Reuters the aim was to create a space for Iranians opposed to the Islamic regime to rise up as it grapples with the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other top officials killed in US-Israeli strikes.
CNN, which first reported the development, said Iranian Kurdish opposition forces were expected to take part in a ground operation in western Iran in the coming days.
“We believe we have a great chance now,” the source told CNN.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that the US is open to supporting armed groups inside Iran that seek to challenge or overthrow the regime.
Trump himself is said to have spoken with Iraqi Kurdish leaders to discuss the US military operation in Iran and how the two sides could work together.
A definitive decision on the operation and its possible timing has not yet been made, according to Reuters.
Who are the Kurds?
The Kurds are an ethnic group originating from the mountainous region of Kurdistan in western Asia. The Kurdish population, estimated at 30 to 45 million, is spread across Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria.
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The US has worked with Kurdish armed groups in the past, particularly in Iraq and Syria, when the two joined forces to fight the Islamic State. The US continued to work with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish armed group, until recently in Syria.
Kurds vs Iran
Kurds across the wider Kurdistan region have long opposed Tehran’s leadership and in the past, including during last month’s crackdown on anti-government protests, the ethnic group has been disproportionately targeted by the regime and its forces.
Any involvement of the Kurdish armed forces in the conflict, whether through a ground operation or inciting another mass uprising, is likely to further weaken the regime.
Operation Epic Fury
The US has already deployed more than 50,000 troops, about 200 fighter jets and two aircraft carriers to the region, with more forces on the way, according to US Central Command.
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Iran has been heavily plagued by US and Israeli airstrikes since Operation Epic Fury was launched on Saturday. The Iranian regime, which has suffered unprecedented losses, including the death of its supreme leader, has vowed to continue the fight.
However, it is unlikely to withstand the current air and ground attack, along with the large mobilization of anti-government protests across the country.
Key things
- The US is actively working with Kurdish militias to weaken the Iranian regime at significant military losses.
- The death of key figures in Iran’s leadership opened a window for a potential uprising against the government.
- Past cooperation between US and Kurdish forces in the region highlights a strategic approach to regional instability.
