The CIA is preparing a possible uprising in Iranian Kurdistan by providing arms and political support for Iranian Kurdish opposition forces, sources familiar with the plan told CNN on March 4. Kurdish officials confirmed that Kurdish forces would take part in an offensive against Iranian troops "in the coming days" in an attempt to pin down Iranian forces to allow for an uprising in Iranian cities, with the militias expecting air support from Israel and the United States.

The reports emerged as U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Iranian Kurdish leader Mustafa Hijri, who heads the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, Iran's largest opposition Kurdish party. Iranian Kurdish groups have links to other regional Kurdish militants, including the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which announced a disarmament process with Turkey in 2025, with militants having experience fighting in Syria and Turkey as well as in Iran. In February 2026, these groups aligned under the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan, bringing together the major Kurdish political parties under one umbrella.