Iran's Kurdish community, estimated to be about 10% of the population, poses a particular threat to the Islamic Republic. The Kurds have a strong sense of identity that transcends national borders and are better organized than any other opposition group in Iran. Many of them are also armed, the Wall Street Journal reported.
What role do they play in the conflict?
Iran's Kurdish militias, mostly based in neighboring Iraq, have said they are preparing for the possibility of taking armed action against the Iranian state if circumstances allow. This was reported by representatives of several Iranian Kurdish organizations.
"Although the war that is currently being fought is a conflict that has little to do with our usual struggle, a situation has arisen that could allow Kurdish forces to take action in this context to achieve their goals," said Kamal Karimi, a member of the Central Committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), the leading Iranian Kurdish armed organization.
Kurdish groups in Iran emphasize that their goal is greater autonomy within Iran, not independence.
What is the US position?
According to US officials, President Donald Trump has spoken with Kurdish leaders in recent days, but it is not clear whether he has made a final decision on whether the United States will support Iranian groups willing to take up arms against the regime. However, he generally remains open to such a possibility. Among the leaders he spoke with was Mustafa Hijri, head of the KDPI.
"President Trump is talking to many partners, allies and leaders in the region," said White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt. "The president is talking to the Kurds because the United States has a military base in northern Iraq."
How can the Kurds change the course of the conflict?
The involvement of Iranian Kurdish fighters could be a turning point, bringing ground forces into a war that has so far been fought mostly through airstrikes.
Trump announced the start of the war by calling on the Iranians to "take control of their government," which signaled support for regime change - a position he has expressed before. Since then, however, senior US officials have said that overthrowing the regime is not the primary goal. They say the primary goal is to destroy Iran’s missile and naval capabilities and to ensure that Tehran never acquires nuclear weapons.
Israel, however, appears more focused on creating the conditions for regime change, systematically targeting Iranian security services tasked with suppressing domestic protests.
How does the Iranian regime view the role of the Kurds?
The Iranian government is aware of the threat. In recent days, Iranian forces have carried out drone and missile attacks on bases of Iranian Kurdish organizations in Iraq, including KDPI bases, according to Kurdish groups and state media in Iran.
The Iranian state and Kurdish movements have had tense relations for decades. Following the Islamic Revolution of 1979, a large-scale Kurdish uprising broke out, led by parties such as the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) and Komala. The uprising was crushed in 1982, leaving an estimated 10,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.
Since then, Kurdish parties have been banned in Iran, and most of their leadership operates in exile, mainly in Iraqi Kurdistan.
What is the role of other Kurdish groups?
Any cross-border military action would likely require the approval of the leadership of the semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region. While Iraqi Kurdish leaders are sympathetic to the Iranian Kurdish cause and have provided sanctuary to their leaders, they also fear the repercussions that a possible mobilization of Iranian Kurdish forces against Tehran could have on their own territory. Iran has allied militias in Iraq that it could use against the Iraqi Kurds.
How do other Iranians react?
A possible armed uprising in Iran's Kurdish regions would not be welcomed by many Iranians, including many who oppose the Islamic Republic. They fear that such a development could destabilize the country and encourage separatist aspirations among other ethnic minorities.