Arash Azizi: “Days after the United States and Israel killed Iran’s leader, the war is set to enter a dramatic new phase. Thousands of Iranian Kurdish militants are gathering in Iraqi Kurdistan, set to receive American and Israeli financial and military support to launch a major attack on Iranian territory, according to several people with close knowledge of the plan. Other armed militants, such as the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), an exiled opposition group that has long carried out violent operations inside Iran, and Baloch militias that operate on Iran’s southeastern border with Pakistan, are also rumored to be involved.
“Last month, five Kurdish Iranian political parties came together to form the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan, signaling their desire for joint political action. The five parties, all of which have military wings, have gathered thousands of their members in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Region, a leader of an Iranian opposition group who has been privy to the plans told me. (He requested anonymity, like others I spoke with for this story, because of the sensitivity of the operation.)
“According to this person, the operation is to be led by the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (known by its Kurdish initials PDKI), whose leader, Mustafa Hijri, spoke by phone with Donald Trump yesterday. The PDKI has deep roots among Iran’s Kurds. It’s the oldest Kurdish party and a consultative member of the Socialist International. According to the opposition leader who spoke with me, as well as the leader of one of the Kurdish groups aware of but not included in the plan, the U.S. and Israel have set aside significant funds for arms and logistical support to the five Iranian Kurdish groups. (A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said the organization had ‘no comment on this matter.’ The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.) The Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, also a consultative member of the Socialist International but more left-leaning than the PDKI, joined the coalition today, becoming its sixth member party. The party had already received arms and financial support separately, my opposition source told me. Khalid Azizi, PDKI’s spokesperson, declined to comment when I reached him by phone.
“I spoke with a Kurdish Iranian analyst who is normally based in the United States but has close ties to the Kurdish forces. He was about to leave for Iraq to embed with them. He told me that, to his knowledge, the militants taking part in the operation are Iranian citizens and mostly Kurds. The question of whether the MEK or the Communist Party of Iran (which has roots in Iranian Kurdistan but doesn’t have a military wing) are directly involved was not one I could settle at the time of writing; this source suggested that the Communists were but the MEK was not, but the information could not be confirmed.
“Iranian Kurdish forces have long awaited such an opportunity, Shukriya Bradost, a Kurdish Iranian security analyst based in Washington, D.C., told me. ‘Kurdish parties want to protect the interests of their people,’ Bradost said.”
Y’all think Azerbaijan will invade Iran as well? If this Kurdish invasion is reasonably successful I can see the Azeris taking a shot as well. Regardless Armenia is completely screwed.
N7Longhorn on
And there wont be a single IDF boot on the ground.
ReadingPossible9965 on
Good news for everyone that thinks things haven’t gotten weird enough and stupid enough yet. The MEK is poised for a special guest appearance!
maporita on
Arming local militias worked out real well in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Lo2NL on
I sincerely hope the Kurds won’t be cast aside and betrayed by the US like last time. Kurds deserve their own state, they seem one of the more modern and rational societies in the ME.
SyrianChristian on
One thing that’ll confuse me about Iran is its religiousity. Generally how religious are Iranians and is it still majority practicing Muslim?
ImperiumRome on
So the end result will most likely a Balkanized Iran after months or years of fighting ? How likely (or unlikely) is Iranians will accept the rule of the Kurds if somehow they capture the entire country ?
westisbestmicah on
This is so cowardly and morally disgusting. Can’t have Americans die in the war so we’ll get the Kurds to instead. Like he doesn’t even see them as valuable human lives
9 Comments
Arash Azizi: “Days after the United States and Israel killed Iran’s leader, the war is set to enter a dramatic new phase. Thousands of Iranian Kurdish militants are gathering in Iraqi Kurdistan, set to receive American and Israeli financial and military support to launch a major attack on Iranian territory, according to several people with close knowledge of the plan. Other armed militants, such as the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), an exiled opposition group that has long carried out violent operations inside Iran, and Baloch militias that operate on Iran’s southeastern border with Pakistan, are also rumored to be involved.
“Last month, five Kurdish Iranian political parties came together to form the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan, signaling their desire for joint political action. The five parties, all of which have military wings, have gathered thousands of their members in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Region, a leader of an Iranian opposition group who has been privy to the plans told me. (He requested anonymity, like others I spoke with for this story, because of the sensitivity of the operation.)
“According to this person, the operation is to be led by the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (known by its Kurdish initials PDKI), whose leader, Mustafa Hijri, spoke by phone with Donald Trump yesterday. The PDKI has deep roots among Iran’s Kurds. It’s the oldest Kurdish party and a consultative member of the Socialist International. According to the opposition leader who spoke with me, as well as the leader of one of the Kurdish groups aware of but not included in the plan, the U.S. and Israel have set aside significant funds for arms and logistical support to the five Iranian Kurdish groups. (A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said the organization had ‘no comment on this matter.’ The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.) The Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, also a consultative member of the Socialist International but more left-leaning than the PDKI, joined the coalition today, becoming its sixth member party. The party had already received arms and financial support separately, my opposition source told me. Khalid Azizi, PDKI’s spokesperson, declined to comment when I reached him by phone.
“I spoke with a Kurdish Iranian analyst who is normally based in the United States but has close ties to the Kurdish forces. He was about to leave for Iraq to embed with them. He told me that, to his knowledge, the militants taking part in the operation are Iranian citizens and mostly Kurds. The question of whether the MEK or the Communist Party of Iran (which has roots in Iranian Kurdistan but doesn’t have a military wing) are directly involved was not one I could settle at the time of writing; this source suggested that the Communists were but the MEK was not, but the information could not be confirmed.
“Iranian Kurdish forces have long awaited such an opportunity, Shukriya Bradost, a Kurdish Iranian security analyst based in Washington, D.C., told me. ‘Kurdish parties want to protect the interests of their people,’ Bradost said.”
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Y’all think Azerbaijan will invade Iran as well? If this Kurdish invasion is reasonably successful I can see the Azeris taking a shot as well. Regardless Armenia is completely screwed.
And there wont be a single IDF boot on the ground.
Good news for everyone that thinks things haven’t gotten weird enough and stupid enough yet. The MEK is poised for a special guest appearance!
Arming local militias worked out real well in Afghanistan and Iraq.
I sincerely hope the Kurds won’t be cast aside and betrayed by the US like last time. Kurds deserve their own state, they seem one of the more modern and rational societies in the ME.
One thing that’ll confuse me about Iran is its religiousity. Generally how religious are Iranians and is it still majority practicing Muslim?
So the end result will most likely a Balkanized Iran after months or years of fighting ? How likely (or unlikely) is Iranians will accept the rule of the Kurds if somehow they capture the entire country ?
This is so cowardly and morally disgusting. Can’t have Americans die in the war so we’ll get the Kurds to instead. Like he doesn’t even see them as valuable human lives