ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a potential ground offensive by Kurdish forces against the Iranian government would be a “wonderful” idea amid reports of Washington’s plan to arm Iranian Kurdish armed groups to fight Tehran.
“I think it’s wonderful if they want to do that,” Trump told Reuters in a telephone interview.
His remarks come amid reports about a CIA plan to arm and support Iranian Kurdish opposition parties based in the Kurdistan Region. Earlier this week, Trump spoke by phone with several Iranian and Iraqi Kurdish leaders.
The Kurdistan Region has reaffirmed that it will not side with any party in the US-Israel war against Iran and will not allow any group to use the Region as a launchpad to carry out attacks on neighboring countries.
Six Iranian Kurdish parties have formed an alliance with the hope of joining forces against Tehran in pursuit of greater Kurdish rights in the country.
Iran’s Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, warned on Thursday that any potential ground deployment of US forces into Iranian territory would face fierce resistance, saying thousands of troops would be killed or captured if they entered the country.
In a post on X, Larijani wrote that Iranian forces were prepared for a ground confrontation with the United States amid the ongoing US-Israeli military campaign targeting Iranian military infrastructure.
“Some American officials have stated that they intend to enter Iranian territory on the ground with several thousand troops,” Larijani said. “The valiant sons of Imam Khomeini and Imam Khamenei are waiting for you, ready to disgrace those corrupt American officials by killing and capturing thousands.”
The United States has not decided to send troops to Iran.
In response to reports about a potential Kurdish offensive in Iran, Tehran and its proxies in Iraq have carried out numerous drone and missile attacks on these parties in the Kurdistan Region.
At least three drone attacks were carried out against the parties in three different areas of Erbil province late Thursday. No casualties have been reported. An Iraqi militia group affiliated with Tehran claimed responsibility for at least one of the strikes.
The Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK) — one of the key Iranian Kurdish opposition parties — on Thursday issued what it described as an urgent call to the people of Rojhelat, urging them to organize local self-governance structures and prepare for a prolonged war.
“East Kurdistan [Rojhelat] and Iran have become the arena of a harsh war, which is the result of the wrong and sinister policies of the Islamic Republic,” the group said in a statement.
According to PJAK, the ongoing war directly affects the lives and future of Kurdish communities in western Iran and could last longer than initially expected. The group argued that the situation presents both serious risks and potential opportunities for Kurdish society.
PJAK is a member of the recently announced Kurdish alliance.
Updated at 9:18 pm
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