US may attempt to use ethnicity as a diplomatic tactic in Iran

US Considering Ground Invasion of Iran, Potential Use of Local Insurgent Groups

Reports suggest that the US is considering a ground invasion of Iran, with various scenarios suggesting a focus on specific islands in the Gulf or joining forces with local insurgent groups. According to initial reports, Washington had explored supporting opposition groups from Iran’s Kurdish minority to launch a war by proxy.

However, these efforts were reportedly unsuccessful due to “leaks and distrust” within the Iranian government. The US President has acknowledged providing weapons to the Kurds, but further action involving ethnic or religious opposition groups may still be on the table as part of an exit strategy from the conflict.

The use of local insurgencies to weaken Tehran is a tactic that has been employed by the US in the Middle East before. Iran’s internal fractures and growing grievances among minority populations may offer opportunities for this approach. Various anti-government mobilisations, including armed ones, have taken place in the country over the past three decades, primarily driven by Sunni Arabs, Kurds, and Balochis feeling marginalised in a Shi’a majority state.

Kurdish armed groups based in Iraq have operated in northwestern Iran for decades, while mass protests have occurred in Kurdish areas, including a recent wave following the death of a Kurdish woman at the hands of morality police in Tehran. Other armed groups, such as Arab separatists and Baluchi rebels, have also been active.

Historical examples suggest that fomenting ethnic or religious tensions can be an effective military tactic. Iraq’s former President Saddam Hussein exploited similar divisions during his 1980 invasion of Iran, encouraging insurgencies among Kurds and Arabs to weaken the Islamic Republic. The US may be seeking to follow a similar strategy in its own efforts to undermine Tehran.

Source: Al Jazeera