CNN: CIA weighs arming Iranian Kurdish groups to pressure Tehran

The Central Intelligence Agency is working on plans to arm Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in an effort to spark unrest against Tehran, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions, quoted by CNN.

Officials said the Trump administration has been in active talks with Iranian opposition figures and Kurdish leaders in Iraq about potential military support. Iranian Kurdish armed groups, which operate primarily from Iraq’s Kurdistan region along the Iran-Iraq border, have thousands of fighters. Several have recently signalled that action inside Iran may be imminent and have called on Iranian security forces to defect.

On Tuesday, March 3, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted Kurdish groups with dozens of drones. The same day, President Donald Trump spoke with Mustafa Hijri, leader of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI), one of the groups reportedly struck by the IRGC. A senior Kurdish official said opposition forces expect to take part in a ground operation in western Iran within days and believe they have a significant opportunity, anticipating US and Israeli backing.

Trump also held calls with Iraqi Kurdish leaders to discuss coordination as US military operations against Iran continue. Any plan to arm Iranian Kurdish groups would require cooperation from Iraqi Kurdish authorities to allow weapons transit and use of territory as a staging ground.

According to people familiar with the discussions, one concept under review envisions Kurdish forces engaging Iranian security units in border areas to stretch government resources and create space for unrest in major cities. Other proposals have included the possibility of Kurdish forces seizing and holding territory in northern Iran, potentially establishing a buffer zone near Israel.

However, US intelligence assessments indicate Iranian Kurdish factions currently lack the capacity and influence to mount a successful nationwide uprising without substantial external assistance. Sources said any meaningful US and Israeli backing would need to be extensive. Kurdish political leaders are also seeking firm political assurances from Washington before committing to a broader resistance effort.

Concerns remain inside the administration about the risks. Kurdish opposition groups are fragmented, with longstanding rivalries and differing agendas. Some US officials question whether their interests align fully with Washington’s objectives. Former US officials have warned that arming militias in an already volatile border region could undermine Iraqi sovereignty and trigger unintended escalation.

The CIA declined to comment. The agency maintains a long history of engagement with Iraqi Kurdish factions and operates an outpost in Iraqi Kurdistan near the Iranian border. The US also has a consulate in Erbil and maintains a military presence there as part of anti-ISIS operations.

Officials familiar with the deliberations cautioned that if an uprising fails and US support wanes, it could reinforce Kurdish perceptions of abandonment — a recurring grievance stemming from previous regional conflicts.

By Tamilla Hasanova