Kurds backed by Mossad, CIA could lead next phase of war in Iran

"The Iranian Kurdish militias are backed by the Mossad and the CIA spy agencies, two U.S. and Israeli officials and a third source with knowledge said. The goal is to try to takeover a specific territory in the Kurdish region inside Iran in order to challenge the regime and inspire a broader uprising, a U.S. official said."

"The idea to support the Kurdish Iranian factions and use them for a ground offensive from Iraq into Iran came initially from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad, with the CIA joining the effort at a later stage, a second U.S. official said. Israeli officials promised the Kurdish Iranian factions not only military support but also political support for a Kurdish autonomous region in a future Iran if the regime collapsed."

"The war started with a kinetic phase by the U.S. and Israeli militaries, but as the war continues there will be other efforts by the Mossad and the CIA, an Israeli official said. The problem is that the Kurdish Iranian factions don't have enough military power and they could end up as cannon fodder."

Six days before a war began, five dissident Kurdish Iranian groups sheltering in Iraq announced formation of the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan. These factions control thousands of soldiers and strategic border areas, recently deploying hundreds of members across the Iran-Iraq border in preparation for potential attacks. Intelligence sources reveal Mossad and CIA backing these Kurdish militias with the objective of capturing specific Kurdish territory to challenge the Iranian regime and spark broader uprising. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Mossad initiated the plan, with CIA joining later. Israeli officials promised military and political support for Kurdish autonomy in a post-collapse Iran, though concerns exist about insufficient military capacity.

Read at Axios