By The South Asia Times

BUGHDAD - Reports that American-backed Kurdish militants have launched ground offensive inside Iran from areas near the Iraq–Iran border have sparked confusion and sharp denials from Kurdish authorities, as tensions in the region continue to escalate.

According to a report by The Jerusalem Post, hundreds of Kurdish fighters began operations inside Iranian territory from positions close to the Iraqi border. With Israeli and American support, the newspaper said the development could potentially open a new front against Tehran amid growing regional instability.

The Kurdish forces operating along the Iran–Iraq frontier are widely regarded as some of the most prominent armed opposition groups confronting the Iranian government. Several Iranian Kurdish organizations maintain thousands of fighters, most of whom operate from bases in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region near the Iranian border.

However, Kurdish officials quickly rejected the claim. Aziz Ahmad dismissed the report in a post on X, stating: “Not a single Iraqi Kurd has crossed the border. This is patently false.”

The conflicting accounts come amid broader reports that the Central Intelligence Agency has been exploring ways to support Iranian Kurdish armed factions as part of efforts to increase pressure on Tehran, according to reporting by CNN citing multiple sources familiar with the discussions.

CNN reported that the initiative, which predates the current phase of hostilities, involves contacts with Iranian opposition figures and Kurdish leaders in Iraq’s Kurdistan region. The aim, according to sources cited in the report, would be to stretch Iranian security forces along the western frontier and potentially encourage unrest inside Iran.

Tehran has already responded with military measures. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said earlier this week that it launched drone strikes against Kurdish militant positions, claiming dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles were used in the operation.

CNN also reported that Donald Trump recently spoke with Kurdish political figures, including Mustafa Hijri, as well as leaders in Iraq’s Kurdistan region to discuss developments surrounding the conflict with Iran.

Any move to arm Iranian Kurdish factions would likely require cooperation from authorities in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, as weapons and personnel would need to transit through Iraqi territory. Officials in Kurdistan Regional Government have described the situation as extremely sensitive, warning that such steps could provoke retaliation and escalate tensions.

Meanwhile, Qasim al-Araji, Iraq’s national security adviser, said Baghdad would not allow armed groups to use Iraqi territory to launch attacks against neighboring countries.

Security analysts say the emergence of a Kurdish front against Iran could significantly complicate the regional security landscape, potentially widening the conflict and drawing in additional actors across the Middle East.

Neither US nor Iranian officials have publicly confirmed the details of the reported plans.