US-Israel Plan for Kurdish Incursion Into Iran Collapses

By Ben Aris in Berlin

© IntelliNews

A joint plan by the US and Israel to support a Kurdish ground incursion into Iran has collapsed following leaks and regional opposition, according to The Times of India, which reported on March 28 that the proposal had been under development for several years.

The plan envisaged tens of thousands of Kurdish fighters entering Iran from neighbouring Iraq, backed by US and Israeli air support, with the objective of stretching Iranian military forces and potentially triggering internal unrest. The proposal was presented “at the highest levels”, the report said, as part of a broader effort to destabilise the Iranian regime.

As IntelliNews reported, in the first week of the war Kurdish fighters, backed by the CIA, massed on the border with the intent to stretch Iran's security forces thin. The Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) said some of its forces had moved to areas near the Iranian border in Sulaymaniyah province and were on standby. However, the operation failed.

According to the report, the operation was abandoned after details were disclosed in the media before execution, allowing Iran to reposition forces and coordinate with Iraqi authorities to block potential entry routes. The exposure of the plan is said to have significantly reduced the feasibility of any rapid incursion.

Regional dynamics also contributed to the breakdown. Turkey opposed the initiative, reflecting its longstanding concerns over Kurdish military movements, while Gulf states expressed reservations about the potential for wider instability. Kurdish groups themselves reportedly hesitated amid doubts over the level of sustained ground support and lingering mistrust of US commitments.

Two separate launch windows were ultimately cancelled, the report said, with the plan now considered off the table. The collapse has also introduced friction between Washington and Jerusalem, according to the same account, although no official statements have been issued by either government.

The reported episode highlights the complexity of coordinating multinational operations involving non-state actors in a region marked by competing strategic interests and sensitivities over sovereignty.

The plan had aimed to “push toward Tehran, stretch regime forces, and ignite internal uprising”, according to The Times of India.