Iran Targets Kurdish Groups in Iraq Amid Reports of Ground Attacks and US Signals of Support
By: Juba Global News Network | JubaGlobal.com
March 5, 2026 – Updated 09:30 AM EST – Leesburg, Virginia
As the US-Israel war against Iran surges into its sixth day, the conflict has opened a volatile new front along the Iran-Iraq border. Tehran has launched a series of drone and missile strikes on Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region, claiming the actions were necessary to neutralize “separatist threats” preparing to infiltrate Iranian territory. The attacks come amid unconfirmed but persistent reports of Kurdish fighters initiating ground operations inside Iran—potentially with tacit or direct US backing—signaling a dangerous broadening of the war into proxy and insurgent domains.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and intelligence ministry announced on March 5 that they had targeted headquarters and positions of “anti-revolution Kurdish groups” in northern Iraq. State media, including IRNA and Tasnim, reported that three missiles struck facilities belonging to separatist militias, inflicting “heavy losses” and destroying ammunition depots and command posts. A separate drone strike hit an arms depot near Dekala in Iraqi Kurdistan, wounding at least two fighters from an Iranian Kurdish opposition group, according to local security sources.
The Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) and other Iranian Kurdish factions, including the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) and Komala, confirmed they were targeted. PAK released footage showing explosions and claimed repeated attacks since late February, shortly after the initial US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and devastated key military infrastructure. The groups accused the IRGC of using Shahed-type drones and ballistic missiles in a preemptive campaign to disrupt their operations.
Tehran framed the strikes as defensive. An IRGC statement declared the targets were “separatist grouplets” planning assaults on Iran’s western borders, with the ministry adding that operations were carried out “to prevent infiltration and terrorist acts.” Iranian officials have long accused Iraqi Kurdistan of harboring anti-regime militants, viewing the region as a staging ground for Western- and Israeli-backed subversion.
Reports of Kurdish Ground Incursions
The Iranian strikes unfolded against a backdrop of escalating rumors—and some direct claims—that Kurdish forces have begun crossing into Iran. Multiple US media outlets, citing unnamed officials, reported that “thousands” of Iranian Kurdish fighters based in Iraq launched a ground offensive into northwestern Iran. The goal, according to sources, is to stretch Iranian forces thin, seize border areas, and inspire broader civilian uprisings against the regime.
A senior US official told one network that the incursion aimed to “give the Iranian people the confidence to rise up.” Reports suggested coordination between Kurdish militias and ongoing US-Israeli airstrikes, with some speculation of American air support if the operation expands. CNN and Reuters cited sources indicating the CIA has been in discussions with Kurdish leaders about military aid, including light weapons and logistics, as part of efforts to foment internal pressure on Tehran. The program reportedly predates the current war by several months.
However, senior officials in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Erbil strongly denied any large-scale incursion from Iraqi soil. One KRG spokesperson stated: “No Peshmerga or Iraqi Kurdish forces have crossed into Iran. The region must not become part of this conflict.” Some opposition groups acknowledged limited cross-border activity but described it as defensive or opportunistic rather than a full offensive.
Broader Context: Proxy War Expansion
The developments reflect the war’s rapid transformation into a multi-front proxy struggle. Five to six Iranian Kurdish opposition parties recently formed the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan (CPFIK), uniting groups like PDKI, Komala, and PAK in a shared anti-regime platform. Reports indicate these factions have received promises of US and Israeli financial and military support, though the White House has publicly denied direct arming plans.
Iran’s response has been swift and multi-layered: beyond strikes in Iraq, Tehran has targeted Kurdish positions inside Iran itself and warned of further action against any “terrorist infiltration.” Pro-Iranian Shiite militias in Iraq, including elements of the Popular Mobilization Forces, have also claimed some attacks on Kurdish sites, framing them as solidarity with Tehran.
The spillover risks destabilizing Iraq’s fragile autonomy in Kurdistan. The KRG has tightened border security, closed schools in vulnerable areas, and reduced electricity output from gas fields amid fears of retaliatory escalation. UN officials and regional analysts warn that drawing Iraqi Kurdistan deeper into the conflict could fracture the country further and provoke wider ethnic and sectarian violence.
Implications for the War
This Kurdish dimension adds a high-stakes layer to Operation Epic Fury. If Kurdish forces gain traction inside Iran—potentially opening a western front—it could force Tehran to divert resources from defending against aerial bombardment and missile exchanges with Israel. For the US and Israel, supporting such proxies offers a way to apply ground pressure without committing large-scale American troops.
Yet history casts a long shadow: past US encouragement of Kurdish uprisings (notably in the 1970s and post-2003) often ended in abandonment, leaving fighters exposed. With civilian deaths in Iran already surpassing 1,000 and the conflict spilling into Lebanon, the Indian Ocean, and now Iraq’s borders, the risk of uncontrollable escalation grows by the hour.
As strikes continue and reports of ground clashes swirl, the Iran-Iraq frontier has become one of the war’s most unpredictable flashpoints. Juba Global News Network will monitor developments closely as the situation evolves.
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Meta Description: Tehran claims strikes on anti-revolution Kurdish militias in Iraq, amid reports of ground attacks by Kurdish forces entering Iran—possibly with US involvement hints—broadening the US-Israel war on Iran into new proxy territory.
