By The South Asia Times

WASHINGTON - The United States is reportedly weighing plans to provide support to Iranian Kurdish armed groups as part of a broader strategy to increase pressure on Tehran, according to a report by CNN, which cited multiple sources familiar with the discussions.

According to the report, the Central Intelligence Agency has been working for months on efforts aimed at bolstering Kurdish factions operating along the Iraq–Iran border. The initiative is said to predate the current phase of hostilities and forms part of wider deliberations within the administration of US President Donald Trump.

Sources cited by CNN said discussions have involved both Iranian opposition figures and Kurdish leaders based in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. The objective, they said, would be to stretch Iranian security forces and potentially encourage unrest inside Iran.

Iranian Kurdish groups, some of which operate from Iraq’s Kurdistan region, are believed to have thousands of fighters positioned near the frontier. In recent days, several of these groups have issued statements signaling readiness for action and calling on Iranian security personnel to defect.

Tehran has responded forcefully. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it carried out drone strikes targeting Kurdish militant positions, claiming dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles were used in operations earlier this week.

CNN reported that President Trump recently held conversations with Kurdish political figures, including the leader of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI), Mustafa Hijri. The KDPI is among the groups reportedly targeted by Iranian strikes.

The report also said Trump spoke with Iraqi Kurdish leaders to discuss developments in Iran and potential coordination as US operations evolve. Any transfer of arms to Iranian Kurdish factions would likely require cooperation from authorities in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, as weapons and personnel would need to transit through Iraqi territory.

A senior official from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), quoted by CNN, described the situation as highly sensitive and potentially dangerous, underscoring fears of retaliation or regional escalation.

Sources familiar with the discussions suggested that one strategic aim could be to force Iranian security forces to divert attention and resources to western border regions, potentially easing pressure in major urban centers. Other ideas reportedly under consideration include whether Kurdish groups could temporarily seize and hold territory in northern Iran.

However, such moves would risk significant geopolitical fallout. Iraq’s National Security Adviser, Qasim al-Araji, stated that Iraq would not permit armed groups to use its territory to launch attacks into neighboring countries. The Kurdistan Regional Government has reportedly reinforced border security in response to heightened tensions.

When asked about possible US support to Kurdish groups, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said US objectives were not centered on arming any specific force, though he acknowledged awareness of broader regional dynamics. The CIA declined to comment, according to CNN.

Analysts say that pursuing the arming of Iranian Kurdish militants could carry significant risks for regional stability. Some experts warn that empowering Kurdish militias against Tehran might provoke retaliatory actions from pro-Iran groups in countries such as Yemen, Syria and Iraq, potentially broadening the conflict beyond its current scope.

“Supporting Kurdish armed factions may further destabilize the Gulf region and the broader Middle East,” said one regional security analyst, noting growing unease among Arab states about the prospect of deeper US military involvement catalyzing wider sectarian and geopolitical confrontations.

Arab governments, long cautious about external interference in regional affairs, could resist such moves if they fear the conflict spreading into their own territories, analysts added, highlighting the delicate balance Gulf states are trying to maintain amid the US–Iran confrontation.

Neither US nor Iranian officials have publicly confirmed the details of the reported plan.