Axios: Kurdish militia could join war against Iran with Mossad, CIA support

Militant groups from several Iranian Kurdish factions are preparing for a potential ground offensive against Iran in the country’s northwest and are allegedly receiving backing from Israeli and U.S. intelligence agencies, U.S. and Israeli officials and sources within the groups told Axios.

The Kurdish militias, based along the Iran–Iraq border, are said to be supported by the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), according to two U.S. and Israeli officials and another source familiar with the plan.

The objective is to seize territory inside Iran’s Kurdish region, challenging the authority of the government in Tehran and potentially sparking a broader internal uprising.

“The war started with a kinetic phase by the U.S. and Israeli militaries, but as the war continues there will be other efforts by the Mossad and the CIA”, an Israeli official said.

According to sources, the concept of supporting Iranian Kurdish factions in a ground assault from Iraq originated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad, with the CIA joining the effort later. However, the White House has not formally approved such a plan.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump has not agreed to any proposal to support an offensive by Kurdish militias against Iran.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers during a closed-door briefing: “We're not arming the Kurds. But you never know with the Israelis.”

Six days before the war began, five Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraq announced the formation of the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan, declaring their intention to oppose the Iranian government.

The factions have thousands of fighters deployed along the Iran–Iraq border and control strategic areas. In recent weeks, they have moved hundreds of members from camps on the Iraqi side of the frontier into Iranian territory as part of preparations for a possible offensive, according to a source close to one of the groups.

A U.S. official said the strategy would be to capture and hold a specific area in Iranian Kurdistan to challenge the government and inspire wider unrest across the country.

However, officials also expressed doubts about the militias’ capabilities.

“The problem is that the Kurdish Iranian factions don't have enough military power and the could end up as cannon fodder,” the official said.

According to sources, Israeli officials have promised the Kurdish groups military assistance and political backing for a Kurdish autonomous region in a future Iran should the current government collapse.

Diplomatic efforts are also underway. Trump held a phone call on March 1 with Kurdish leaders in Iraq, Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani, to discuss the ongoing conflict and possible developments. Axios reported that both leaders expressed reservations about becoming involved in a ground invasion of Iran.

Separately, CNN reported that Trump also spoke with Mustafa Hijri, leader of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan.

By Sabina Mammadli