As the United States, Israel, and Iran enter their second week of combat, the Kurdish people are emerging as a critical variable in Middle Eastern geopolitics. International attention has intensified following reports that Kurdish forces—who have historical ties to South Korea through their participation in the Korean War—are strengthening their activities along the Iranian border. Analysts widely assess that Kurdish militant groups in contact with the United States are likely to launch ground operations to pressure the current Iranian regime as a core anti-government force within Iran.
The Kurds have wandered the mountainous regions of the Middle East for 2,300 years without ever establishing an independent state. A Kurdish proverb states, "We have no friends but the mountains." Known as "the Gypsies of the Middle East" and "the world's largest stateless nation," their total population numbers approximately 40 million, scattered across the region: roughly 15 million in Turkey, 8 million in Iran, 5 million in Iraq, and 2 million in Syria. Smaller populations also reside in Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Pakistan, and India.
The Kurds speak their own Kurdish language and, unusually for the Middle East, have high levels of female social participation, with significant numbers of women serving in Kurdish militias across various countries. Most Kurds are Sunni Muslims.
During World War I, the Kurds joined the conflict after receiving British promises of an independent state—promises that were never kept. From 1950 to 1953, they fought in the Korean War as part of the Turkish forces under the UN Command, helping South Korea against North Korea. During the Iran-Iraq War in 1987, they supported Iranian forces.
When the George W. Bush administration invaded Iraq in 2003, Kurdish forces allied with the United States. In 2014, when the U.S. and Western nations waged war against the Islamic State (IS), Kurdish militias joined the fight and played a significant role in defeating the extremist group.
Through their long history of participation in global conflicts, the Kurds have earned a reputation as a people with formidable combat capabilities.
The current attention on the Kurds stems from their connection to Iran's internal political situation. The approximately 8 million Kurds residing in Iran are largely opposed to the current government. The United States appears to be moving to leverage Kurdish forces to increase pressure on Iran. Experts view Kurdish participation as a significant variable that could substantially influence the development of ground operations and the duration of the war, given the military advantage the U.S. and Israel currently hold.
On the 5th (local time), Fox News reported that some Iraq-based Kurdish militias have already entered Iran and begun ground operations. Reports also emerged of Kurds purchasing large quantities of vehicles for combat use. According to CNN, a car dealership owner in Erbil, a city in Iraq's Kurdish autonomous region, said Iranian Kurdish militias purchased 50 Toyota Land Cruiser LC71 vehicles—a four-wheel-drive model suited for rugged terrain. The Iraq-Iran border region is mountainous. The Washington Post reported that the U.S. government has been in successive contact with Kurdish factions, promising support contingent on their participation in ground operations against Iran.
After more than 2,000 years without a homeland, the Kurds once again find themselves at the center of Middle Eastern conflict while still hoping to establish an independent state. Whether the Kurds will achieve their long-sought independence remains uncertain, but their choices could rapidly shift the dynamics of the U.S.-Israel-Iran war and influence the broader Middle Eastern situation, drawing close attention to their next moves.