Iran War Escalates with Kurdish Ground Forces

The Kurdish groups involved, the PDKI and PAK, are part of a newly-formed coalition of five Iranian Kurdish parties established on February 22, 2026. Their stated goal is the overthrow of the Islamic Republic, and they are considered the most well-organized segment of Iran's opposition, with thousands of fighters seasoned by the war against ISIS. Targets in Yazd have previously included storage facilities for Khorramshahr ballistic missiles, which possess a range of up to 3,000 kilometers. Strikes in Tehran have focused on dismantling the regime's internal control, hitting sites like the Special Police Command headquarters, a facility that played a central role in suppressing domestic protests. The targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is a powerful military force operating parallel to Iran's regular army and reporting directly to the Supreme Leader. The IRGC controls Iran's ballistic missile program and, through its Quds Force, directs a network of regional proxy militias. The United States designated the IRGC as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2019. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has halted the passage of roughly 20% of the world's daily oil consumption and a fifth of its liquefied natural gas (LNG). This chokepoint is the only sea route from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, and its blockage impacts exports from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Iraq. The current joint offensive follows years of deepening military ties, including the largest-ever joint U.S.-Israeli exercise in January 2023, named Juniper Oak. The U.S. provides over $3.8 billion in