Israel has conducted airstrikes on parts of western Iran to back Iranian Kurdish militias aiming to seize border areas, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The bombings target security and military sites in Kurdish-populated regions, creating conditions for thousands of fighters to launch a ground offensive from Iraq.

The effort comes one week into a U.S.-Israeli air campaign against Iran, which began last Saturday and has killed top Iranian officials, including the supreme leader, while striking government and Revolutionary Guard Corps facilities. Israeli military operations focus on northwestern Iran near the Iraqi border, including cities like Bukan, to erode Tehran's control and distract its forces.

Iranian Kurdish groups, based in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, formed a coalition of five factions last month, including the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), and Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK). An estimated 5,000 to 8,000 fighters have gathered along the border, planning to capture towns such as Oshnavieh and Piranshahr within days, though they possess only light arms and seek drones, artillery, and air defense from backers. The militias aim to establish a semi-autonomous zone in a potential federal Iran.

Talks between Israel and the Kurds started about a year ago, with Mossad and CIA involvement growing recently. U.S. President Donald Trump described a potential Kurdish insurgency as "wonderful" and held calls with Iraqi Kurdish leaders Masoud Barzani, Bafel Talabani, and PDKI head Mustafa Hijri. The CIA has provided small arms covertly to destabilize Iran, predating the war, though the White House denied plans to support an offensive. An Israeli official noted the conflict's next phase would involve Mossad and CIA efforts beyond airstrikes.

Kurdish leaders denied any incursions had begun, stating fighters await U.S. destruction of Iranian depots and a no-fly zone for safety. PAK's Hana Yazdanpana said not a single Peshmerga had crossed, emphasizing coordination among the coalition. PDKI's Mustafa Mauludi hoped to celebrate Nowruz on March 21 inside Iran.

Iran responded with missile strikes on Kurdish bases near Erbil in Iraq, killing at least one fighter, and warned against using Iraqi soil for attacks. Iraqi officials affirmed they would block cross-border threats.

The push alarms Turkey and Iraq over regional spillover, while Kurds fear betrayal akin to past U.S. abandonments in Syria and 1991 Iraq. Israeli analyst Jonathan Spyer said Jerusalem seeks to "destroy the regime by any means."