Iran War: Kurds Prepare for Cross-Border Operation with US Backing

• Battle-hardened Kurds, many in northern Iraq, are preparing for a potential cross-border military operation in Iran with US backing.
• Kurds, a 30-million strong ethnic group without a state, see the conflict as an opportunity to weaken the Islamic Republic.
• Iranian forces have already struck Kurdish opposition groups, but a new coalition of six major Kurdish parties has formed for self-determination.
• Despite a history of unreliable US support, some Kurdish factions view an alliance as a historic chance for their homeland, Kurdistan.
• Adding Kurdish fighters could make it harder for Iran to defend itself and potentially pull Iraq deeper into the fighting.