According to three sources familiar with negotiations between Israel and several groups, Israel has bombed parts of western Iran in an effort to support Iranian Kurdish militias that hope to exploit a U.S.–Israeli war against Iran to seize towns near the border.
The idea of an attack by Iranian Kurdish forces based in Iraq gained attention on Friday when U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters that it would be “fantastic” if they crossed the border.
A Kurdish uprising could have serious consequences for Iran as the country defends itself against air strikes. Reuters has reported that the militias have consulted with the United States on how and when to attack Iranian security forces.
Israel’s talks with Iranian Kurds date back a year
Two Iranian Kurdish sources said Israel has been negotiating with Iranian Kurdish rebel groups based in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq for about a year, while an Israeli source described the contacts as “long-term.”
The two Kurdish sources have direct knowledge of the armed opposition groups, while the Israeli source has direct knowledge of his country’s engagement with them. All spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Israeli government and the Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Israel has not publicly commented on such involvement during the current conflict.
The three sources said the Kurdish factions’ initial goal would be to seize Iranian territory along the border. One Kurdish source said the plan included capturing the towns of Oshnavieh and Piranshahr as well as other nearby locations.
According to the sources, thousands of fighters have gathered on the Iraqi side of the border and could be ready to launch an attack within a week, although Reuters was unable to independently verify the claim.
Independent estimates put the combined strength of the militias at between 5,000 and 8,000 fighters.
The Israeli source said Israel does not expect the groups to overthrow the Iranian government, but supporting them could weaken Iran’s control over its interior regions and distract the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Opposition groups announce alliance
It remains unclear whether they will receive support from Kurdish authorities in Iraq. The political leadership of Iraq’s Kurdistan region has publicly denied any plans to send fighters or become involved in Iran, despite reports of outside pressure.
The Israeli source warned that Iraqi Kurdish resistance could complicate the effort, saying mobilizing Iranian Kurdish fighters would be difficult without practical support from their counterparts in Iraq. Uncertainty over how long the war might last has also fueled doubts.
Iran has attacked Kurdish armed groups inside Iraq as well as U.S. bases in the region and on Friday warned Iraqi Kurdistan that it would retaliate against any deployment of hostile forces along the border.
Iranian Kurds provide targeting intelligence
The three sources said Kurds inside Iran have been providing targeting intelligence in border areas to the United States and Israel.
Israeli analyst Jonathan Spyer said Israel is seeking the “destruction of the regime by any means available.” However, Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran specialist and former Israeli intelligence officer, said a rebellion in Iran lacks broad support among Kurds in both Iraq and Iran.
“I think they are all waiting to see whether the regime survives,” he said.
Officials in both Turkey and Iraq—neither of which is eager to support separatism among Kurdish populations spread across parts of Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran—have also expressed skepticism about any uprising in Iran. Citrinowicz added that backing such a revolt could backfire for the United States and Israel by fueling Iranian nationalism.
Israel has maintained cautious military, intelligence and commercial ties with various Kurdish groups since the 1960s, viewing them as a buffer against shared adversaries.
Two Kurdish sources said the groups coordinate more closely with the United States than with Israel, but any cross-border attack would require air support from both. One of the sources said the militias have not yet received weapons but plan to request air-defense systems, drones, light arms and artillery support.