CIA actively arming Iranian Kurdish forces for imminent ground operation inside western Iran — operation expected within days

CNN, ITV, and Reuters all report the CIA has been smuggling weapons into western Iran for months to arm thousands of Kurdish volunteers, coordinating with Iranian opposition groups. A ground operation in western Iran targeting Iranian security forces is expected to begin within days. US officials have been in active discussions about whether and how Kurdish militias should attack Iran’s security forces inside Iranian territory. This represents a qualitative escalation from air campaign to CIA-backed ground war — opening a second front inside Iranian territory beyond air and missile strikes. Kurdish forces operating inside western Iran would force IRGC to split resources between air defense against US strikes and counterinsurgency operations against CIA-backed Kurdish militias. This covert ground warfare dimension is distinct from the conventional air campaign and represents a new escalation vector.