CIA Arming Kurdish Separatists to Foment Armed Rebellion in Northwestern Iran

The CIA is arming and training Kurdish forces in northwestern Iran with the goal of stretching Iranian defensive capacity and creating a buffer zone for Israel. Weapons were smuggled into western Iran months before Operation Epic Fury began, indicating long-lead covert planning. Trump personally called Kurdish leaders Barzani and Talabani the day after strikes commenced. Thousands of Kurdish fighters have moved into Iranian territory. The operation represents the most significant CIA covert ground action since the early stages of the Afghanistan war.