Arming a Kurdish insurgency would be a risky endeavor – for both the US and Iran’s minority Kurds

Washington has long worked with Kurdish groups in the Middle East. But without sufficient support, encouraging Iranian Kurds into an uprising now could be dangerous.

By: John Calabrese, American University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 7, 2026

Words: 1,508

Last Updated: 2 days, 4 hours ago

Body Text Preview

By John Calabrese, American University

With the Iranian regime weakened by relentless American and Israeli missiles, Washington is eyeing a familiar U.S. ally in the Middle East to help push the Islamic Republic over the edge: the Kurds.

Making up between 8% to 17% of the country’s total population, Iran’s Kurdish minority has long been persecuted under the Islamic Republic.

And since the war in Iran began on Feb. 28, 2026, reports have …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

Email Us