A member of the Iranian Kurdish peshmerga from the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) in the PDKI's Azadi camp after an Iranian cross-border attack on the town of Koye, Iraq, March 3, 2026. SAFIN HAMID/AFP
Rumors, secrecy, misinformation and denials. On Thursday morning, March 5, speculation continued to swirl in Iran's western borderlands, as Kurdish armed groups denied involvement in operations reported the previous day by Israeli and American media. These organizations, based in neighboring Iraqi Kurdistan and claiming to represent a minority accounting for 10% of Iran's population, are seen as the only forces capable of forming a structured armed opposition to the Islamic Republic.
By Wednesday evening, amid a highly confusing information environment, rumors began circulating that Kurdish fighters had crossed into Iran from their positions in Iraqi Kurdistan. However, no independent or official source had confirmed these claims at that point. Earlier, Axios, known for its connections with the Israeli security apparatus, reported that the CIA was funding and arming the Kurdish national movement in a bid to take control of Iranian Kurdistan.
Subscribers only
'The Kurds had Western support, especially from the US. That support has now been withdrawn'
