New Delhi: A senior leader of one of Iran’s main armed Kurdish opposition groups said his organisation already has forces positioned inside Iranian Kurdistan and is preparing for “any scenario”, even as US President Donald Trump has sent mixed signals about mobilising Kurdish fighters against Tehran before appearing to step back from the idea amid Turkish opposition.

Fuad Beritan, a member of the leadership council of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), told The Wire in a written interview from an undisclosed location that Kurdish organisations were less focused on the military dimensions of the conflict than on securing guarantees for Kurdish rights in any future political transformation in Iran.

“The real question is whether entering a war would bring us closer to that goal,” he said. “Rather than focusing on military conditions, we are seeking guarantees for our political existence and the realisation of our political objectives.”

The question of whether Kurdish armed groups could play a role in the conflict has drawn renewed attention after reports that the Trump administration had explored encouraging Kurdish fighters to open pressure on Tehran from inside Iran’s western regions. 

According to the Washington Post, Trump offered “extensive US air cover” to anti-regime Kurdish groups to help them seize territory in western Iran, urging them to choose sides “either with America and Israel or with Iran”. Within days, however, he appeared to step back, saying the conflict was already “complicated enough” and ruling out Kurdish involvement after objections from Turkey and leaders of the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq. The Kurds, an ethnic group of between 25 million and 40 million people spread across Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran, have long sought greater political rights and autonomy across the region but have no state of their own.

PJAK, founded in 2004 and closely linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, operates from the Qandil mountains along the Iran-Iraq border and has fought intermittent clashes with Iranian forces for years.

The US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran began on February 28, less than a week after five Iranian Kurdish opposition parties, including PJAK, announced the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan, with the stated aim of toppling the Islamic Republic and establishing Kurdish self-determination.

Despite speculation about Kurdish involvement in the conflict, the coalition has not launched a coordinated ground offensive. Iranian forces have nonetheless carried out missile and drone strikes against Kurdish opposition bases in northern Iraq, targeting facilities linked to groups such as the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan.

Tehran has also dismissed the Kurdish organisations as foreign-backed proxies. Speaking in New Delhi on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue earlier this month, Iranian deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh described them as “separatists who have been nurtured by the CIA and Mossad”, adding: “We are born to fight separatism.”

Turkey’s position further complicates the question of Kurdish mobilisation. Ankara considers PJAK an extension of the PKK, the Kurdish militant group that has fought a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state, and has pressured the Kurdish regional government in Iraq to prevent Iranian Kurdish fighters from using its territory to cross into Iran.

Beritan sought to downplay tensions with Turkey, saying PJAK’s struggle was directed against the Iranian government rather than Ankara.

“Our struggle is not against Turkey but against repression and suffocation in Iran,” he said. “Turkey should view this not as a threat but as an opportunity.”

While he stressed that the group was not seeking to initiate a war, Beritan said PJAK was preparing for different outcomes if political upheaval in Iran once again sidelines Kurdish rights.

“We are prepared to face any scenario in which, during a fundamental transformation in Iran, Kurdish rights might once again be denied,” he said. “If war is imposed on us, we will defend ourselves with all our strength.”

He stated that PJAK already maintains a significant presence inside Iranian Kurdistan and would not necessarily need to move forces across the border if the situation escalates.

“A large portion of our forces have been stationed deep inside Iranian Kurdistan for many years,” he said.

At the same time, Beritan suggested Kurdish movements remain cautious about relying on outside powers, pointing to past experiences in which international backing proved uncertain.

“We have no illusions about any power in the world,” he said. “Naturally, every country pursues its own projects and interests. We Kurds also pursue our own struggle and the freedom of our people.”

Here is the full interview, edited for clarity.

Trump has first said he would support action by Iran’s Kurds, and reports indicated that his administration is considering arming Kurdish groups. Had the United States contacted PJAK directly? If so, what has been your response?

We are in contact with many actors, and the reason for that is clear. PJAK is an independent and powerful political, social and military force that has significant political and field weight inside Iranian Kurdistan. It also has considerable influence among Kurds and among democracy-seeking forces across Iran. Within this framework, like any other political actor, we pursue our own diplomatic activities. Dialogue and communication with the United States is a natural matter, and we see no obstacle to such contacts and discussions.

Israel has had contacts with Iranian Kurdish groups for decades. Has Israel been in contact with PJAK? What has it asked for or offered?

We do not have precise information indicating that Israel has had contacts with the Kurds of Iran. At present, we do not have direct communication with Israel. However, as a political principle,........

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