Thousands of Kurdish fighters have crossed into Iranian territory in what appears to be the first ground
By Bernie,
Thousands of Kurdish fighters have crossed into Iranian territory in what appears to be the first ground offensive of the war, a senior Iranian Kurdish official told i24 News. The official says Kurdish forces began taking combat positions inside Iran.
The offensive follows weeks of preparation. Six days before the war began, five Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraq's Kurdistan Region announced the formation of the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan, pledging unified resistance against Tehran. President Trump spoke by phone with leaders of the two main Kurdish factions in Iraq, Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani, the day after the bombing campaign began, in calls described as "sensitive" by sources familiar with the conversations. Trump also spoke with Mustafa Hijri, leader of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, CNN reports.
The CIA has been working to arm Kurdish forces along the Iran-Iraq border with the goal of sparking a popular uprising, CNN reports, citing multiple sources familiar with the plan. Israeli forces have been striking Iranian military and police outposts along the Iraq border in recent days, in part to clear the path for Kurdish fighters to move into northwestern Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to have advocated for the Kurdish strategy for months, first raising it in White House meetings with Trump.
The Kurdish groups have thousands of battle-hardened fighters operating along the border with decades of combat experience from fighting in Iraq and against ISIS. The strategy aims to stretch Iran's security forces thin and create space for unarmed Iranian civilians in major cities to protest without facing the kind of violent crackdown seen during unrest in January. Iran's IRGC has responded by striking Kurdish bases and camps in Iraq's Kurdistan Region with drones and missiles since the war began. Iraq's national security adviser stated Wednesday that Iraq will not allow groups to cross the Iranian border from its territory.
Topics: Iran, Israeli Politics
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