US speaks with Kurdish leaders as militias consider ground operation in Iran - report

Iranian Kurdish militias have recently consulted with the United States about potential attacks on Iran’s security forces in the western part of the country, according to sources familiar with the discussions. 

The consultations come as U.S. and Israeli forces continue strikes on Iranian targets, creating what Kurdish leaders see as a rare operational opportunity.

Iran’s Kurdish population, concentrated in the northwest along the border with Iraq in a region often referred to as Rojhelat or Eastern Kurdistan, has a long history of resistance against Tehran. 

Kurdish opposition groups, including the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) and the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), have maintained bases in Iraqi Kurdistan for decades following repeated crackdowns by Iranian security forces. These groups have periodically conducted cross-border operations into western Iran, though Tehran has historically responded with heavy military reprisals.

A senior Kurdish official told CNN that opposition forces are expected to take part in a ground operation in western Iran in the coming days. “We believe we have a big chance now,” the official said, citing the impact of U.S. and Israeli military pressure on Iranian forces. The official added that the militias anticipate support from both U.S. and Israeli forces.

In addition, President Donald Trump reportedly spoke by phone with Kurdish leaders in Iraq on Sunday to discuss the ongoing U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran and potential next steps, according to multiple sources.

Any operation from Iraqi Kurdistan into western Iran would mark a significant escalation, as the region has long been tightly controlled by Iranian security forces. Kurdish fighters moving into western Iran would face a challenging environment, but the current conflict has created what they see as an unusual window of opportunity to strike, potentially altering the balance of resistance within the country.