US-Israeli Kurdish Iran plan reportedly shelved after leaks

A reported plan involving Kurdish fighters entering Iran from Iraq was shelved after operational details leaked and regional allies raised alarm, adding a new layer to debate over whether the war could have expanded into a ground front.

Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the proposed operation had been discussed as part of a wider early-war scenario in which Kurdish armed groups could cross into northwestern Iran under heavy U.S. and Israeli air cover. The report said the plan was later dropped after the loss of surprise, regional pressure and Kurdish hesitation. Other reporting has separately confirmed that Washington had been in contact with Kurdish leaders in Iraq during the opening days of the conflict.

According to the report, the idea was to trigger internal unrest and weaken Iran’s security grip in western provinces by opening a new pressure point from the Iraqi border. It said the concept envisioned support from multiple Iranian Kurdish factions, though doubts remained from the start about whether such a move could succeed on the ground.

The wider backdrop gives the report added significance. In early March, Axios reported that President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Kurdish leaders Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani, after months of behind-the-scenes lobbying linked to Israel’s push for tougher action on Iran.

At the same time, broader reporting in recent days has suggested that the Pentagon has been examining options for limited ground operations in Iran, even if no final decision has been announced publicly. That has kept attention fixed on whether the conflict could move beyond airstrikes and covert pressure into a more direct land campaign.

Regional opposition appears to have played a major role in slowing such ideas. Turkey has long opposed any move that could strengthen Kurdish armed actors in the region, while Gulf Arab states have also been wary that ethnic fragmentation inside Iran could destabilize the wider Middle East and create a longer conflict.

The Kurdish side also had its own concerns. Reports in recent weeks suggested some Kurdish groups wanted not only military backing, but also political guarantees from Washington before taking any major step, reflecting deep mistrust shaped by past U.S. policy shifts in Syria and Iraq.

Overall, the reported cancellation of the plan underscores how even aggressive wartime scenarios can collapse when secrecy is lost, allies object and local partners remain unconvinced. It also shows that while military escalation remains possible, the political risks of opening a Kurdish front against Iran remain exceptionally high.

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