Has the US gained an ally on the border with Iran? This move can change the balance of power
Against the backdrop of the US-Israeli operation against Iran, several Kurdish groups issued statements calling on the Iranian armed forces to lay down their weapons, CNN noted. Kurdish forces are under attack by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). On Tuesday, the IRGC reported striking Kurdish groups with several dozen drones.
According to CNN, on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump spoke with Mustafa Hijri, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI). This is one of the groups attacked by the IRGC.
What groups does the US support in Iran?
What are the Kurdish forces planning in Iran?
What are the potential goals of Kurdish groups in Iran?
Who talked to Donald Trump about the Kurds?
A senior Kurdish representative in Iran told CNN that Kurdish opposition forces in Iran will take part in a ground operation in western Iran in the coming days. “We think this is a big opportunity for us now,” the source said. The station's interlocutor added that the Kurds count on support from the US and Israel.
Earlier on Sunday, according to Axios, Trump spoke with Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani. Masud Barzani is the former leader of the Iraqi Kurds, and Bafel Talabani is the leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan group.
Kurdish groups would defeat Iranian forces
One CNN source said the plan may be for Kurdish groups to clash with Iranian security forces and defeat them. This would allow unarmed Iranians from large cities to take to the streets without risking another massacre, as happened during the protests in January.
Another US official stressed that the Kurds could help sow chaos in the region and deplete the military resources of the Iranian regime. There have also been other ideas regarding the possibility of the Kurds occupying territory in the northern part of Iran, which would constitute a buffer zone for Israel.
On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal wrote, citing US officials, that Trump is ready to support armed militias in Iran that would like to overthrow the regime.
Donald Trump called on the Iranians to rise up
The Kurds have thousands of troops along the Iran-Iraq border and control strategic areas that could be important as the war unfolds. Israel's bombing of positions in western Iran has sparked speculation that it is paving the way for a Kurdish offensive.
The US President, announcing the start of US-Israeli strikes against Iran, called on the Iranians to rise up and take power. As the daily noted, by offering support to armed resistance groups, Trump is going beyond a call for insurrection.
Axios recalled that during one of his meetings with Trump in the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who “relentlessly” called for attacks on Iran and regime change in that country, advocated turning to the Kurds regarding such actions. Israel has long had close relations with Kurds in Syria, Iraq and Iran.
