Inside Secret Iraqi Kurdistan Base with Fighters Ready to Attack Iran
•March 9, 2026
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Why It Matters
The presence of armed Iranian Kurdish exiles near the border raises the prospect of a new, destabilizing front with Iran and complicates U.S., Israeli and Kurdish regional diplomacy; their limited capability and cautious stance, however, make an immediate large-scale incursion unlikely. This dynamic affects regional security calculations and the risk of escalation between Iran and external backers.
Summary
A reporter embedded with Iranian Kurdish fighters at a clandestine base in Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan, found groups of exiled activists—some freshly returned from Europe—preparing for potential operations against Iran while stressing caution. The fighters, linked to a small party called Komala, say they lack substantial weapons, vehicles or high-tech support and are reluctant to launch incursions without a clear, credible strategy and backing. Recent public speculation by U.S. and Israeli officials, amplified by comments from former President Trump, suggested these groups could open a new front against Tehran, but both the Kurdish leadership and the Kurdistan Regional Government warn such actions risk broadening the conflict. For now, fighters say they are “biting their time” and will act only when conditions and plans are right.
Original Description
Last week, Donald Trump said that Kurdish fighters could mount a ground incursion into Iran.
He has since rowed back on that.
But who are the Kurdish people?
They are an ethnic group that is spread across the mountainous regions of eastern Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran.
With a population of more than 40 million, they’re often described as the largest ethnic group without a state.
In Iraq they run their own autonomous region near the Iranian border.
A warning, this report contains distressing images.
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