CIA arming Kurdish forces to spark uprising in Iran

Report says Trump administration in talks with Iranian Kurdish groups and Iraqi Kurdish leaders as ground operation is discussed

CIA arming Kurdish forces to spark uprising in Iran – The CIA is working to arm Kurdish forces with the aim of fueling a popular revolt inside Iran, according to CNN, which cited multiple sources familiar with the plan. The report says the Trump administration has opened a dialogue with Iranian opposition groups and Kurdish leaders in Iraq to provide military support.

Iranian Kurdish armed groups reportedly have thousands of fighters operating along the Iraq-Iran border, primarily in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. At the outset of the Israeli-American military operation against Iran, Iranian Kurdish factions called on Iranian military personnel to defect. In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched dozens of drones targeting Kurdish groups.

A senior Iranian Kurdish official told CNN that U.S. President Donald Trump had spoken with Mustafa Hijri, the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI). The same official said Iranian Kurdish opposition forces are expected to take part in a ground operation in western Iran in the coming days.

“We believe we have a great opportunity now,” the source told CNN, outlining the timing of the operation and expressing expectations of support from the United States and Israel.

The report that the CIA is arming Kurdish forces to spark uprising in Iran also aligns with separate reporting from Axios, which said Trump spoke Sunday with Iraqi Kurdish leaders to discuss the U.S. military operation in Iran and potential coordination. Any attempt to arm Iranian Kurdish groups would require backing from Iraqi Kurdish authorities to allow weapons transit and to use Iraqi Kurdistan as a staging ground.

One source told CNN the concept is for Kurdish armed units to tie down Iranian forces, making it easier for civilians to avoid the type of crackdown seen during unrest in January. A separate U.S. official said Kurdish involvement could sow instability in the region and stretch the Iranian regime’s military resources. There is also the possibility that Kurdish forces could seize and hold territory in northern Iran, creating a buffer zone for Israel.

Alex Plitsas, a CNN national security analyst and former senior Pentagon official under former President Barack Obama, said the United States is “clearly trying to kick-start” regime change by arming the Kurds, long considered a regional U.S. ally. “The Iranian people are generally unarmed, and unless the security services collapse, it will be difficult for them to take power if someone does not arm them,” Plitsas said. He added that Washington may hope such moves would encourage others inside Iran to follow suit.

Jen Gavito, a former senior State Department official specializing in the Middle East under former President Joe Biden, voiced concern about sending American weapons to Kurdish groups. She questioned whether the broader consequences had been fully assessed. “We are already dealing with an unstable security situation on both sides of the border,” Gavito said, warning that the approach could undermine Iraqi sovereignty and empower armed militias without clear accountability.

A CNN source also said that in recent days the Israel Defense Forces have struck Iranian military and police outposts along the Iraqi border, potentially shaping conditions for Kurdish fighters to move into northwestern Iran.

Even so, sources familiar with the intelligence assessments cautioned that any U.S. and Israeli support for a Kurdish ground force aimed at toppling the Iranian regime would need to be substantial. U.S. intelligence officials reportedly believe Iranian Kurdish groups lack the resources to sustain a large-scale uprising on their own. According to a source close to the matter, Iranian Kurdish parties are seeking political guarantees from the Trump administration before committing to any sustained resistance effort.

The strategy described by CNN — CIA arming Kurdish forces to spark uprising in Iran — suggests a coordinated attempt to apply military and political pressure on Tehran. However, officials and analysts interviewed in the report emphasize that the outcome would depend heavily on sustained external backing and the internal cohesion of both Kurdish factions and Iranian security forces.

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