Trump Mobilises Ground Troops to Fight Iran, Kurdish Groups as the Linchpin
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — The Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in northern Iraq are preparing cross-border military operations into Iran following reports that the United States has reportedly urged Iraqi Kurds to lend support to the move. These Kurdish groups are among the opposition to Iran’s regime that are most organised, with thousands of trained fighters, and their involvement could pose a significant challenge to Tehran and risk pulling Iraq deeper into the conflict.
Khalil Nadiri, an official of the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), based in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, said on Wednesday that part of their military strength had been mobilised to areas near the Iranian border in the Sulaymaniyah province. The troops are now on standby awaiting further instructions.
“Some of our forces have moved to areas near the Iranian border in the Sulaymaniyah province and are on standby,” Nadiri said, quoted by The Associated Press on Thursday.
Nadiri added that leaders of the Kurdish opposition groups have been in contact with United States officials regarding the plan for the operation. However, he did not provide further details on the technical aspects of the discussions.
“Leaders of the Kurdish opposition groups have been contacted by U.S. officials regarding the potential operation,” Nadiri said.
Separately, U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to reports that the Trump administration was considering arming the Iranian Kurdish groups. He said that the United States’ purpose is not solely aimed at backing or arming any particular military force.
“There is not a single objective of ours based on supporting or arming a particular power. So what other entities may do, we are aware of it, but our goals are not centred on that,” Hegseth told reporters on Wednesday.
Planned Ground Invasion
If the Iranian and Iraqi Kurdish groups do enter into war, it would mark the first major ground force incursion into the theatres of operation. These Kurdish groups have extensive combat experience, including fighting ISIS in the past.
A Komala official, another Iranian Kurdish opposition group, said their forces are ready to cross the border in the near future. They are simply waiting for battlefield conditions to be deemed satisfactory to begin movement.
“Our forces are ready to cross the border in about a week to ten days and we are waiting for the situation to be right,” the Komala official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
Although sharing the same aim of toppling Tehran’s authority, these Kurdish groups often clash with other opposition factions, particularly the group led by Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s former Shah. Pahlavi accuses Kurdish groups of separatism aimed at breaking up Iranian territory.
Trump Pressure on Iraqi Kurdish Leaders
This operation plan puts the regional Kurdish leaders of Iraq in a difficult position. Three Iraqi Kurdish officials revealed that there were phone talks on Sunday night between U.S. President Donald Trump and Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani, leaders of the two main Kurdish parties in Iraq, to discuss the situation in Iran.
One official revealed that in those talks, Trump asked Iraqi Kurds to provide military support to the Iranian Kurdish groups and to open the border to enable free cross-border movement.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump spoke with the Kurdish leaders. However, she denied that Trump had approved any specific military plan in those discussions.
“He did indeed speak with the Kurdish leaders regarding the bases we have in northern Iraq,” Leavitt said.
Meanwhile, the PUK confirmed the talks between Talabani and Trump in an official statement. The PUK stated that Trump provided a vision of US objectives, but that the PUK remains committed to a negotiated solution.
“President Trump provided clarification and a vision of the United States’ objectives in the conflict. The PUK believes the best solution is to return to the negotiating table,” the PUK’s official statement read.
Security Responses in Iraq and Iran
The presence of Kurdish Iranian armed groups in northern Iraq has long been a flashpoint between Baghdad and Tehran. In 2023, Iraq and Iran reached an agreement to disarm these groups and relocate them to camps away from the border.
Iraq’s National Security Advisor Qassim Al-Araji stated via X that Iran had asked Iraq to take preventive steps to curb infiltration of the opposition groups at the borders of the two countries.
“Ali Bagheri asked that Iraq take necessary steps to prevent opposition groups from infiltrating the border between the two countries,” Al-Araji said.
Al-Araji emphasised Iraq’s commitment to safeguarding the border region from any forms of terrorism or cross-border infiltration. He also noted that security reinforcements had been deployed to the border area.
“Iraq is committed to preventing any group from infiltrating or crossing the Iran border or carrying out terrorist actions from Iraqi territory,” Al-Araji asserted.