Today in Focus Why does Trump want Kurdish fighters to join the war in Iran? – The Latest
6 snips
Mar 5, 2026 
Devika Bhatt, deputy head of international news at The Guardian, offers sharp on-the-ground analysis of Middle East tensions. She explains Kurdish fighters’ role along Iran’s border. She discusses historic US-Kurd ties and the risks of wider recruitment among minorities. She warns about civilian suffering and the fragile succession dynamics in Tehran.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
US and Israel Seek Kurdish Ground Partners
- The US and Israel appear to be preparing a new front by working with Iraqi-based Kurdish forces to strike targets inside Iran.
- Devika Bhat notes large Iranian airstrikes hit dozens of Kurdish military positions and frontier posts as signs this coordination is underway.
Kurds Previously Served As US Ground Allies
- The US has a history of relying on Kurdish forces as boots on the ground, notably against ISIS and during the Iraq conflicts.
- Devika Bhat recalls Kurdish groups like the Syrian Democratic Forces controlling large territories after fighting ISIS alongside the US.
Arming Minorities Could Ignite Wider Civil Strife
- Recruiting minority militias risks inflaming Iran's complex ethnic and social fractures and could unintentionally provoke wider civil conflict.
- Devika Bhat warns the US may underestimate those complexities, invoking echoes of sectarian fallout after the Iraq invasion.