Kurdish politics shake-up: Bafel Talabani, PUK leader and son of Jalal Talabani, in the mix as regional stalemate drags on and Kurdish roles in regional conflicts loom large. bio: born 1973, Iraqi Kurdish politician, PUK leader.
Iranian Kurdish groups, seen as the most organized opposition faction, are on standby near the border. U.S. officials have discussed potential support for their incursion into Iran amid ongoing conflict following US and Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s top leaders.
As of March 11, 2026, the US and Israel have launched airstrikes in Iran, killing Supreme Leader Khamenei and top officials. The Trump administration is actively discussing arming Iranian Kurdish militias based in Iraqi Kurdistan to open a ground front in western Iran. Kurdish groups, with thousands of fighters, seek US support to weaken Iran’s military and possibly spark wider uprisings, though risks of regional destabilization remain high.