Policy paper „The involvement of Kurdish actors in the U.S.–Israeli–Iran conflict”
Date of publication: March 12, 2026
Research interns Anežka Petráková and Mahi Farman from the Prague Center for Middle Eastern Relations (PCMR) at CEVRO University have published a policy paper entitled “The involvement of Kurdish actors in the U.S.–Israeli–Iran conflict”.
The paper reacts to the current escalation between the United States, Israel, and Iran that began on February 28, 2026, when the United States, in cooperation with Israel, launched missile and air strikes against the Iranian regime and selected targets on Iranian territory. Tehran responded rapidly with a series of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and several U.S. military bases across the Middle East, including bases in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, and Iraq. Some attacks have also affected civilian infrastructure in the region, and the security implications of the conflict have begun to spill over into neighboring states. According to available reports, missiles have also struck Cyprus and Türkiye, while an attempted attack on airport infrastructure in Azerbaijan has been reported.
The paper focuses primarily on the question of the potential involvement of Iranian Kurdish armed groups in the conflict. This debate has been intensified by recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump, who suggested the possibility of cooperation between the United States and Iranian Kurdish actors, including the potential provision of weapons to Kurdish militias operating against the Iranian regime. Such developments could open an additional front against Tehran and partially reshape the dynamics of the current escalation.
The text therefore analyzes the potential role of Kurdish groups operating against the Iranian regime, their capacities, motivations, and geographic bases, particularly in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It also examines how their potential involvement could influence the course of the conflict, regional security dynamics, and relations among states in the wider Middle East. The aim of the paper is to assess possible scenarios of further development and evaluate the extent to which the Kurdish factor could become an important variable in the ongoing confrontation between Iran and the United States and its allies.