KURDISH UPRISING: Israel Strikes Western Iran to Clear Path for 8,000-Strong Rebel Offensive
Israel is conducting targeted airstrikes in West Azerbaijan to support a massive Kurdish insurgent offensive. With 8,000 fighters amassing on the border and U.S. backing, the map of Iran is being redrawn. Is the IRGC about to lose the West?
Israel has been conducting airstrikes in western Iran to support Iranian Kurdish militias aiming to capitalize on the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Tehran by seizing control of border towns, according to three sources familiar with Israel's discussions with the groups.
The operations mark a new dimension in the escalating conflict, now in its eighth day, as Kurdish factions based in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region prepare for a potential ground offensive.The sources, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, revealed that Israeli talks with the Iranian Kurdish insurgent groups began approximately a year ago.
These discussions have intensified amid the joint U.S.-Israeli air war, with Israel targeting areas near the Iraqi frontier to facilitate the militias' advances.
The primary objectives include the towns of Oshnavieh and Piranshahr, located in Iran's West Azerbaijan province along the border with Iraq.
Thousands of fighters from the Iranian Kurdish coalition are reportedly gathering on the Iraqi side of the border, with preparations underway for an offensive that could launch within the next week.
Independent estimates place the combined strength of these militias at between 5,000 and 8,000 combatants.
A Kurdish militant involved in the planning stated, "Our struggle is for the self-determination of the Kurdish people in Iranian Kurdistan."
The notion of a Kurdish incursion gained international attention following U.S. President Donald Trump's comments to Reuters on Friday, where he described it as "wonderful" if the militias crossed the border into Iran.
Earlier reports indicate that the Iranian Kurdish groups have consulted with the United States in recent days regarding strategies to attack Iranian security forces in the western regions.
These consultations included requests for U.S. military support, with Iraqi leaders in Erbil and Baghdad also engaging the Trump administration.
Analysts warn that a successful Kurdish insurgency could significantly erode Tehran's control in the area, distracting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from defending against the broader aerial bombardments.
The militias' training has focused on weakening Iran's military presence, leveraging the chaos from sustained U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets, including military sites and infrastructure.
This development unfolds against the backdrop of intensified U.S.-Israeli operations, which have included strikes on Tehran, Beirut, and other key locations.
Israeli officials have not publicly commented on the specific allegations of supporting the Kurdish militias, but the strikes in western Iran align with broader efforts to dismantle Iran's military capabilities in coordination with the U.S.
Iranian state media has reported airstrikes in the region but has not directly addressed the Kurdish involvement.The potential offensive could have far-reaching implications for regional stability, potentially impacting Iraq's Kurdistan region and drawing in other actors like Turkey, which has its own history of conflicts with Kurdish groups.