US Encourages Kurdish Action Against Iran, History Suggests Potential Consequences

US Encourages Iranian Kurdish Militias as Tensions Escalate with Iran

The United States and Israel have been reportedly supplying light weapons to Iranian Kurdish militias as part of a covert program aimed at destabilizing the country. The move has sparked concerns about the potential for historical betrayals, particularly in reference to past US involvement with Kurdish fighters in Iraq and Syria.

In 1975, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger stated that “covert action should not be confused with missionary work.” This doctrine of geopolitical expediency appears to be echoed in the current push for an Iranian Kurdish rebellion. The US has been encouraging Kurdish militias to serve as a ground force against Iran’s central government, with the goal of achieving “regime change.”

Reports suggest that thousands of Iranian Kurds have crossed from Iraq into northwestern Iran to launch a ground operation. However, this claim has not been verified by the CIA or other official sources. The US President Donald Trump reportedly held calls with Iraqi Kurdish leaders and Iranian Kurdish leader Mustafa Hijri as part of efforts to facilitate this push.

Regional analysts remain wary about the potential consequences of this move. Mahmoud Allouch, a regional affairs expert, warned that the current strategy is aimed at “dismantling Iran” by inciting separatist movements as a prelude to its collapse. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has begun steps towards disarmament after a four-decade armed campaign against the Turkish state.

The involvement of Turkey in this volatile mix is also a concern, given Ankara’s historical ties with Kurdish groups. In 1991, the US military stood by as loyalist forces regrouped and used helicopter gunships to indiscriminately slaughter tens of thousands of civilians and rebels after encouraging Iraqis to rise up against Saddam Hussein.

The government of northern Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region has denied involvement in any plans to arm Kurdish groups and send them into Iran. The president, Nechirvan Barzani, stated that the region “must not become part of any conflict or military escalation that harms the lives and security of our fellow citizens.”

Source: Al Jazeera