Iranian Kurdish Forces Say They May Enter Iran. Who Are the Kurds?
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- Iranian Kurdish forces based in Iraq are preparing armed units that could be deployed into Iran, potentially with U.S. support, to initiate an insurgency against the Iranian government.
- The White House denies any agreement to support a Kurdish insurgency in Iran, but the U.S. has a history of collaborating with Kurdish militias in the region.
- The U.S. has previously abandoned Kurdish allies, notably after encouraging a Kurdish uprising post-1991 Gulf War, only to witness the Iraqi Army suppress it violently.
- The Kurds are an ethnic group of about 40 million people spread across Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, seeking either independence or greater autonomy.
- Despite promises made after World War I for a Kurdish
