EXCLUSIVE: Thousands of Kurdish fighters launch ground offensive into Iran against regime, official says

An official from the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan (CPFIK) says Kurdish armed groups based in Iraq have already begun a military offensive against Iranian regime forces.

According to the official, Kurdish fighters affiliated with the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) began taking combat positions inside Iranian territory on Monday, March 2. 

“The ground military movements by Kurdish forces against Iran have already started since the midnight of March 2,” the official told i24NEWS.

He said Iranian forces evacuated the border city of Mariwan on March 3 and began establishing defensive positions in and around the area.

According to the CPFIK official, PJAK fighters have moved into positions around the southern mountains of Mariwan in western Iran.

He said thousands of PJAK fighters are already deployed inside Iran’s mountainous regions, particularly deep within the Zagros Mountains.

PJAK operates two armed wings: the YRK (Protection Units of Eastern Kurdistan) and the HPJ (Women’s Protection Forces), which the official said are modeled after Kurdish formations in Syria.

The comments come amid several media reports suggesting that Washington may be considering Kurdish groups as potential partners in efforts to pressure the Iranian regime.

According to CNN, the CIA is exploring plans to arm Kurdish forces with the aim of fomenting a popular uprising inside Iran.

Meanwhile, Axios reported that U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Kurdish leaders in Iraq to discuss the ongoing conflict involving Israel and Iran and possible next steps.

The Wall Street Journal has also reported that the Trump administration is open to supporting armed groups inside Iran willing to challenge the government.

The CPFIK official said several Kurdish political and armed factions are prepared to cooperate with the U.S. and Israel.

“Most of the armed Eastern Kurdistan [Western Iran] parties are ready to work in unity and openly with the State of Israel and the USA,” he said.

In addition to PJAK, he named several groups active in Iranian Kurdistan: the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), Komala factions, and the Freedom Party of Kurdistan (PAK).

While PJAK has several thousand fighters, the official said the other groups together have only a few hundred militants, many of whom fought against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

“Right now, there are a few thousand trained armed forces in Eastern Kurdistan who are ready to be armed by the State of Israel and the USA,” he said.

The CPFIK official framed Kurdish cooperation with Israel and the United States as part of a broader geopolitical vision.

He argued that Iran is a “multinational country” composed of many ethnic groups — including Kurds, Baluch, Azeris, Turkmen, and Arabs — and suggested that weakening Tehran could allow these communities greater autonomy or independence.

He also said a future Kurdish state could serve as a strategic corridor linking the Persian Gulf to Israel.

“Kurds are a powerful force to defeat the enemies of Israel,” he said, arguing that Kurds and Jews share common adversaries in the region.

“The Kurds and the Jews are natural allies in the Middle East,” he said, adding that many Kurds view Israel’s establishment as proof that independence is achievable for stateless nations.

He said Kurdish factions would welcome closer cooperation with both Washington and Jerusalem, including potential U.S. military bases in Kurdish areas of Iran and economic cooperation with Israel.

The claims about Kurdish military movements and potential U.S. support have not been independently verified.

Neither the White House nor Israeli officials have publicly confirmed plans to arm Kurdish groups inside Iran.