The Digester

CIA reportedly moving to arm Kurdish forces to spark uprising in Iran

Mar 4th 2026

Multiple sources told CNN that the CIA and the Trump administration have been in talks with Kurdish leaders and Iranian opposition groups about supplying weapons to Iranian Kurdish forces based in Iraqi Kurdistan to help trigger an uprising against Tehran.

  • Multiple sources told CNN the CIA and the Trump administration have discussed providing weapons to Iranian Kurdish groups to help foment a popular uprising against Tehran.
  • Iranian Kurdish armed groups operate along the Iraq-Iran border from bases in Iraqi Kurdistan and some leaders say they may launch ground operations in western Iran soon.
  • Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has struck Kurdish targets and said it used dozens of drones against Kurdish forces.
  • Any plan to arm Kurdish groups would need Iraqi Kurdish cooperation to transit arms and use Iraqi Kurdistan as a staging area.
  • US and Israeli support is reportedly expected or discussed, but US intelligence assesses Kurdish groups currently lack the capacity to carry out a successful nationwide uprising.
  • Kurdish factions are fragmented and are seeking political assurances from Washington, raising questions about reliability and potential regional consequences.

Sources

cnn.com