Who Are the Kurds — Here's How a Coalition of Iranian Kurdish Groups Could Influence the US–Iran Conflict

The Kurds are a stateless ethnic group with a significant presence across the Middle East, long accustomed to navigating the region's volatile geopolitics.

While there are no official census figures, largely because they lack an independent state and are dispersed across international borders, estimates suggest their global population ranges between 25 million and 45 million.

The vast majority reside in the mountainous regions spanning parts of western Iran, eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, Syria, and Armenia.

As the conflict between the United States and Iran intensifies, international attention has shifted towards the Iranian Kurdish opposition, with reports suggesting that the coalition could potentially engage in the conflict as the Iranian Kurds have been fighting the Iranian regime. Here is how this coalition could shape the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran.

Who are the Kurds?

Throughout the Middle East region, Kurdish people shared a common struggle for more rights, freedoms, and autonomy.

The Kurds were divided between the newly-etched borders in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria, and they began decades of protest and revolt against their new national authorities.

After the Ottoman Empire collapsed post-World War I, a proposed Kurdish state was included in the plan. However, the new Turkish government took control of the entire Anatolian region after the Turkish independence war.

Most Kurds are Sunni Muslims, but the Kurdish population has diverse religious, cultural, social, and political traditions, as well as a variety of Kurdish dialects.

In Iran, Kurdish people make up eight to 17 per cent of the population, and the Kurdish regions in western Iran have long pushed for greater autonomy or independence, as well as improved rights.

According to CNN, in 1946, a Kurdish state—the Republic of Mahabad—was established, but was dismantled by Iranian forces after less than a year. Since then, the Iranian Kurdish have engaged in fights with the regime, operating from outposts on the Iraq-Iran border, where they have thousands of fighters.

Iranian Kurds' Position On the Ongoing US-Iran Conflict

In the report of The Associated Press, Iranian Kurds said that they are not planning an imminent attack on Iran but would join a ground invasion if the US launches one.

Khalil Nadiri, an official of the Kurdistan Freedom Party PAK, said that in the event of a US ground operation, the coalition then 'would enter alongside the coalition forces'.

But Nidir added that 'The Kurds must not place themselves as the spearhead of the attack'. He also shared that his group already has armed members present inside Iran and that they would not necessarily require cross-border support if they were to stage an uprising.

NidirI also said that the Kurdish group has been in contact with the US and Israel but denied that they have received any material aid from the two countries.

Meanwhile, Khalid Azizi, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (DPKI), told Fox News that their forces are closely watching developments. He also reiterated the statement of Nidiri, saying that they have no plans to launch a ground offensive at this stage of the conflict.

'We are ready and our party is well organized,' Azizi said. 'But right now we do not have any intention to enter Iranian Kurdistan because the ground forces in this war have not been a topic'.

'It's very easy to start a war,' he added. 'But it will be more complicated how to end this war'.

Furthermore, reports indicated that President Donald Trump spoke to the leader of KDPI, Mustafa Hijri, to explore the possible involvement of Kurds.

Azizi also said that Kurdish representatives are meeting with policymakers and institutions to discuss the situation in Iran and the possible role that the Kurdish group could play if the conflict further escalates.

How Could the Iranian Kurds Influence the Ongoing Conflict?

While the Kurdish groups are unlikely to win the conflict alone, in this war, however, the Kurds can act as a 'force multiplier' for the US.

Furthermore, their deep knowledge of the rugged, mountainous border terrain would allow them to conduct precision raids or support coalition intelligence, creating a persistent psychological challenge for a government that relies on a message of total national unity.

However, according to Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), if the Kurds are to join the US in the war, the Iranian Kurds 'will have in their mind the experience of Kurds in Syria,' adding, 'I'd be very surprised if they look at the US or the Israelis as reliable partners. Some may feel that it doesn't really matter, and that all they need is the support'.

According to the Atlantic Council, the best- or worst-case scenario if the Kurdish join the war is that 'it could potentially spark a civil war. If a US- and Israeli-armed offensive is truly underway, it is a devastating blow for Iranians hoping for a political transformation in Iran'.

Beyond the battlefield, their presence could act as a catalyst for internal unrest, potentially emboldening Iranian citizens to protest against the regime.

Meanwhile, Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed, the first lady of Iraq and a prominent Kurdish activist, said to 'Leave the Kurds alone,' she wrote. 'We are not guns for hire.'