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BumRushDaShow

(169,714 posts)
Tue Mar 3, 2026, 06:40 PM Mar 3

CIA working to arm Kurdish forces to spark uprising in Iran, sources say

Source: CNN Politics

Updated Mar 3, 2026, 5:01 PM ET
PUBLISHED Mar 3, 2026, 4:52 PM ET


The CIA is working to arm Kurdish forces with the aim of fomenting a popular uprising in Iran, multiple people familiar with the plan told CNN. The Trump administration has been in active discussions with Iranian opposition groups and Kurdish leaders in Iraq about providing them with military support, the sources said.

Iranian Kurdish armed groups have thousands of forces operating along the Iraq-Iran border, primarily in Iraq’s Kurdistan region. Several of the groups have released public statements since the beginning of the war hinting at imminent action and urging Iranian military forces to defect. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been striking Kurdish groups and said on Tuesday that it targeted Kurdish forces with dozens of drones.

Also on Tuesday, President Donald Trump spoke with the president of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI), Mustafa Hijri, according to a senior Iranian Kurdish official. KDPI was one of the groups targeted by the IRGC.

Iranian Kurdish opposition forces are expected to take part in a ground operation in Western Iran, in the coming days, the senior Iranian Kurdish official told CNN. “We believe we have a big chance now,” the source said, explaining the timing of the operation. The source added the militias expects US and Israeli support.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/03/politics/cia-arming-kurds-iran



OMFG this is pouring gasoline on the fire.

Almost a year ago, the PKK in Turkey after 40 years of fighting, finally came to an agreement to disarm when Turkey offered some concessions - Conflict Between Turkey and Armed Kurdish Groups

We basically abandoned Syria after the Kurds there helped to run Assad off. Now we're going to rile up yet another faction.

26 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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CIA working to arm Kurdish forces to spark uprising in Iran, sources say (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Mar 3 OP
Why after all that has been done to the Kurds and broken promises by US - would the Kurds Pachamama Mar 3 #1
Exactly my first thought. IQ45 completely hung them out to dry vs. Turkey and probably burned that bridge AZJonnie Mar 3 #4
They'll gladly take all the U.S. arms the CIA gives them. sop Mar 5 #26
Trmp abandoned the Kurds on the battlefield last time. I doubt they'll be eager allies after that. nt eppur_se_muova Mar 3 #2
Jeepers, sounds like just what they did with the Jan 6th insurrectionists. bluestarone Mar 3 #3
I'm sure this will thrill Turkey. NT Gore1FL Mar 3 #5
Once again, arm another group to fight proxy wars and sow hatred among groups. erronis Mar 3 #6
Sounds like a grand idea! Bayard Mar 3 #7
Kurds know who they are dealing with Bluestocking Mar 3 #8
What a fustercluck! greatauntoftriplets Mar 3 #9
Some Kurds want their own country bmichaelh Mar 3 #10
Didn't Bush the first screw them over in the 80s? BidenRocks Mar 3 #11
Yep, GW betrayed the Iraqi Kurds... Spazito Mar 3 #18
What about Alberta? usonian Mar 3 #12
Isn't there a law against the CIA being involved Bev54 Mar 3 #13
These are the same Kurds that we abandoned after the Iraqi war, right? In my opinion the biggest betrayal of an...... FadedMullet Mar 3 #14
That wasn't the embassy. BidenRocks Mar 3 #17
My mistake, it was American Marines who were the last off the embassy roof the morning of April 30th 1975. FadedMullet Mar 5 #24
This sort of thing has been the M.O. of the West for moniss Mar 3 #15
The irony of today in this era, is that the U.S. is the LARGEST oil producer IN THE WORLD BumRushDaShow Mar 3 #16
Yes and just like with Venezuela it moniss Mar 3 #19
But there is another reason and it's not the "oil barons" who aren't really interested at the moment BumRushDaShow Mar 4 #23
The CIA has a terrible history with IRAN thought crime Mar 3 #20
Yes, especially Operation Ajax, the 1953 CIA coup of the legitimately elected PM, Mohammad Mosaddegh and strengthening Celerity Mar 4 #21
How do we plan to fuck these people over this time? LoveSucky Mar 4 #22
In other words, "The cavalry is coming..... oasis Mar 5 #25

Pachamama

(17,564 posts)
1. Why after all that has been done to the Kurds and broken promises by US - would the Kurds
Tue Mar 3, 2026, 06:41 PM
Mar 3

…trust the US?

Seriously…

AZJonnie

(3,703 posts)
4. Exactly my first thought. IQ45 completely hung them out to dry vs. Turkey and probably burned that bridge
Tue Mar 3, 2026, 06:50 PM
Mar 3

They might still fight Iran but if so seems likely to stem from their own motives, not some desire to appease Mango Mussolini, or the USA generally.

sop

(18,605 posts)
26. They'll gladly take all the U.S. arms the CIA gives them.
Thu Mar 5, 2026, 12:51 PM
Mar 5

Whether they'll be used to bring down the Iranian government, or to further destabilize the region, is something Trump apparently hasn't completely thought through. Terms like "unintended consequences" and "blowback" come to mind.

eppur_se_muova

(41,938 posts)
2. Trmp abandoned the Kurds on the battlefield last time. I doubt they'll be eager allies after that. nt
Tue Mar 3, 2026, 06:42 PM
Mar 3

bluestarone

(22,174 posts)
3. Jeepers, sounds like just what they did with the Jan 6th insurrectionists.
Tue Mar 3, 2026, 06:44 PM
Mar 3

That's their MO i guess!!!

erronis

(23,869 posts)
6. Once again, arm another group to fight proxy wars and sow hatred among groups.
Tue Mar 3, 2026, 06:55 PM
Mar 3

That's the CIA way. And it's a failure - unless the purpose is to get other populations to kill each other.

(Un?)Fortunately is spreads and someone's left to clean up. (Not the CIA!)

Bayard

(29,679 posts)
7. Sounds like a grand idea!
Tue Mar 3, 2026, 06:58 PM
Mar 3

Just keep stirring that pot. Moron.

Our Dem president is going to have another mess to clean up. Rethugs always leave things that way, and then try to blame it on the Dems.

bmichaelh

(1,180 posts)
10. Some Kurds want their own country
Tue Mar 3, 2026, 07:49 PM
Mar 3

Some Kurds want their own country; if that were to happen, it would impact Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.

There is a law of unintended consequences this administration has never heard.

For example, if Mossadegh was left to govern in 1950s, perhaps Iran would be a secular and democratic country today.

Does not matter what Trump puts his name on; he will not escape the judgment of history.



Bev54

(13,431 posts)
13. Isn't there a law against the CIA being involved
Tue Mar 3, 2026, 08:20 PM
Mar 3

In war and regime change? Or is it just assasinations?

FadedMullet

(926 posts)
14. These are the same Kurds that we abandoned after the Iraqi war, right? In my opinion the biggest betrayal of an......
Tue Mar 3, 2026, 09:07 PM
Mar 3

......erstwhile "ally" since the helicopters airlifted American off the roof of the American embassy in Saigon. I truly hope that they do not trust us an inch and instead take the arms, build a secure enclave and declare independence.

BidenRocks

(3,263 posts)
17. That wasn't the embassy.
Tue Mar 3, 2026, 10:07 PM
Mar 3

It was a nearby hotel. April 29, 1975.
I was a Marine and 4/30 is my birthday.
That left a memory.

FadedMullet

(926 posts)
24. My mistake, it was American Marines who were the last off the embassy roof the morning of April 30th 1975.
Thu Mar 5, 2026, 05:28 AM
Mar 5

moniss

(9,056 posts)
15. This sort of thing has been the M.O. of the West for
Tue Mar 3, 2026, 09:49 PM
Mar 3

over 100 years in the Middle East. It will come as no surprise that the overtures to this group have been ongoing for at least a year or more. Making the overtures, making the promises, developing the plans etc. didn't just happen. Overthrow this one, overthrow that one and then overthrow the ones you propped up to do the first and second overthrows.

It's always been about oil and having puppets. The Western powers carving people and oil up for themselves.

moniss

(9,056 posts)
19. Yes and just like with Venezuela it
Tue Mar 3, 2026, 11:20 PM
Mar 3

isn't so much the fascists need the oil it's more a matter of reworking existing production contracts to cut themselves in for propped up "services companies etc." and to get the production contracts reworked so the subject country gets a lower royalty percentage and the oil companies a higher percentage. The Western nations have done this over and over by propping up this militia or that to do an overthrow.

Sadly along with the oil "business" comes a lot of dead bodies, including children, they push aside as an "unfortunate" circumstance. Obviously also is that every move that the GQP and Crumb the 1st have made is to dismantle conservation efforts such as mpg requirements and green energy which of course means increased consumption/sales/revenue for the oil companies.

But climate change continues to accelerate and the negative effects are mounting rapidly and there will be no place to run and hide.

BumRushDaShow

(169,714 posts)
23. But there is another reason and it's not the "oil barons" who aren't really interested at the moment
Wed Mar 4, 2026, 09:03 AM
Mar 4

As I posted in another thread - https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=3626230

Recall the reason for invading and taking over Greenland.

Iran�s Rare Earth and Lithium Industries Strategic Development Analysis



It's all about the "tech bros" and making chips.


And this applies to Venezuela too -




The Kobeissi Letter
@KobeissiLetter
What about the rare earths?

Venezuela has significant, yet largely undeveloped, deposits of rare earth elements.

These are some of the same elements that nearly prompted new US 100% tariffs on China on October 10th.

Most of these undeveloped rare earth deposits sit in Venezuela's Orinoco Mining Arc.

Venezuelan government sources historically claimed the Orinoco Mining Arc holds at least ~300,000 metric tons of rare earth elements.

This could be worth well over $200 billion once exploration starts.

As the AI Revolution explodes, the value of these rare earths is skyrocketing.

President Trump has also stated the importance of rare earths to his Administration multiple times, including those held in Ukraine and China.

We think this will soon be the next focus point.
Image
Quote
Square profile picture
The Kobeissi Letter
@KobeissiLetter
·
Jan 4
The Venezuela plot thickens:

While Venezuela holds 303 BILLION barrels of oil reserves, much of this is HEAVY crude oil.

Texas and Louisiana also *happen* to have 6 of the LARGEST HEAVY crude oil refineries in the world.

What does this mean? Let us explain.

(a thread)
Image
1:34 PM · Jan 4, 2026








I suspect the biggest funders of 45's campaign were not the old school "oil barons" or "media barons" but the "tech bros", who need those mineral resources for more chips for their "tech". This is why all that crap with Greenland -



45 is spouting "oil" (because he is still stuck in that era), but some "tech bro"-associated advisor is whispering in his ear to go for other things that THEY need.

thought crime

(1,562 posts)
20. The CIA has a terrible history with IRAN
Tue Mar 3, 2026, 11:39 PM
Mar 3

If they want to unify Iranians against the US, even more, just bring in the CIA. That will do it.

Celerity

(54,404 posts)
21. Yes, especially Operation Ajax, the 1953 CIA coup of the legitimately elected PM, Mohammad Mosaddegh and strengthening
Wed Mar 4, 2026, 04:33 AM
Mar 4

the Shah Pahlavi and the rise of his SAVAK terror thugs.



1953 coup in Iran

https://www.britannica.com/event/1953-coup-in-Iran

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