Everyone is watching to see whether Kurdish fighters will launch a ground offensive into western Iran. So, who are the Kurds? Read more: Who are the Kurds?
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Kurds' Struggle Across Middle Eastern BordersBetween 25-45 million Kurds live in four countries, facing decades of conflict and recent CIA-backed arms support in Iran.
- The Kurdish population is estimated between 25 and 45 million, primarily spread across parts of Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Armenia.
- Kurds constitute 8 to 17 percent of Iran’s population and have endured repression alongside armed resistance since the mid-20th century.
- Iraq’s Kurdistan Region holds semi-autonomous status and held a 2017 independence referendum that Baghdad refused to recognize.
- The CIA’s recent provision of weapons to Iranian Kurdish groups has heightened regional tensions and fears of intensified conflict.
Leave the Kurds alone. We are not guns for hire.— Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed, the first lady of Iraq and a prominent Kurdish activist, in a Thursday statement.
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Everyone is watching to see whether Kurdish fighters will launch a ground offensive into western Iran.
So, who are the Kurds?
Read more: Who are the Kurds?
Media reports: Kurds open new front in Iran war: Kurdish fighters are said to have launched a ground offensive in Iran. The CIA was already supplying weapons ...
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Ground offensive against the mullahs: Trump abandoned the Kurds in Syria – but he needs them in Iran.
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Trump backs Kurdish offensive in Iran: ‘I’d be all for it’: President Trump said Thursday that he would back the Kurds if they launched an offensive inside Iran ...
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Key FactsKurdish Forces Ready for Cross-Border Iran Operation
Mar 5, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: abcnews.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: abcnews.com
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- The U.S. has urged Iraqi Kurdish leaders to back these groups, increasing the risk of deeper regional involvement.
- Iran has launched drone and missile strikes targeting Kurdish bases in Iraq, escalating local hostilities.
- Key Kurdish parties have engaged in talks with U.S. officials but emphasize a preference for diplomatic solutions.
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