Trending Now - Kurdish Rebels' Role in Iran's Regime Change Remains Limited

WHO:

President Trump, US President

Kurdish leaders in Iraq

Kurdish expert Ofra Bengio, Tel Aviv University

Roham Alvandi, professor of international history at the London School of Economics

Ahmed Barakat, head of the Kurdish Progressive Democratic Party in Syria

Saad Ali, resident of Qamishli, Syria

Israeli official familiar with planning and strategy for the Iran war

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

WHAT:

President Trump stated on March 6th, “We’re not looking to the Kurds going in,” regarding a potential Kurdish offensive in Iran.

Kurdish groups, numbering 30-40 million, are considered the world’s largest stateless ethnic group.

Kurdish population in Iran is estimated to be around 10% of the country’s 90-100 million citizens.

Five leading Kurdish rebel groups formed an alliance in February 2026 to bring down the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has fought a bloody insurgency in Turkey for three decades, resulting in over 40,000 deaths.

Over 92% of votes were cast in favor of independence during the 2017 referendum held by the Kurds in northern Iraq.

WHERE:

Kurdish communities are primarily located in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.

Kurdish region in Iran is concentrated in the northwest near the borders of Iraq and Turkey.

Iraqi Kurdistan, where the alliance of Kurdish groups was formed.

Qamishli, a northeastern Syrian Kurdish town.

WHEN:

President Trump spoke with Kurdish leaders on March 5th, 2026.

President Trump made his statement about the Kurds on March 6th, 2026.

The alliance of Kurdish rebel groups was formed in February 2026.

The Kurdish rebellion against Iraq’s central government occurred in the 1960s and 70s.

WHY:

Kurdish groups seek greater autonomy or independence from the Iranian regime.

The Iranian regime has used the threat of Kurdish insurgency as a pretext for political repression.

Historical grievances and a sense of betrayal by the US influence Kurdish groups' willingness to trust external support.

HOW:

Kurdish groups have refrained from armed activity due to political pressure from their Iraqi hosts.

Israel has reportedly been bombing sites in western Iran to support Kurdish militias.

Coordination between Turkish and Iranian security forces against Kurdish militant groups has occurred in the past.

(UPDATED March 15, 2026 23:03 UTC)

In a recent discussion with Kurdish leaders, President Trump emphasized that the U.S. is not supporting a Kurdish offensive in Iran, a statement he made on March 6. Kurdish groups, numbering between 30 and 40 million, are the largest stateless ethnic group in the world, with about 10 percent of Iran's population identifying as Kurdish. In February, five leading Kurdish rebel groups formed an alliance in Iraqi Kurdistan, aiming to gain greater autonomy from the Iranian regime, which has historically used the threat of Kurdish insurgency to justify political repression.