They represent one of the few forces in the region capable of bringing genuine stability to a post-regime Iran

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon

Published 17 March 2026

There is growing speculation that the Kurdish populations of Iraq and Iran may once again find themselves at the centre of a struggle for freedom, this time helping the people of Iran liberate their country from the suffocating grip of the clerical autocracy that has ruled it for more than four decades.

The Kurdish military force in northern Iraq, the Peshmerga, has long been a stabilising presence in the region. The Peshmerga contribution to the defeat of Isis in 2017 helped shape the modern Iraqi state and demonstrated their capability as a disciplined and highly effective fighting force. I had the privilege of working with them in an advisory role on chemical weapons defence between 2015 and 2017, and saw first-hand their professionalism, determination and courage.

Prior to the campaign against Isis, I also advised the Kurdistan Regional Government on the grim but necessary task of dealing with the legacy of chemical warfare in Halabja, where thousands were murdered when Saddam Hussein unleashed chemical weapons in 1988. 

The Kurdish people understand tyranny perhaps better than most, having endured it repeatedly and survived. Saddam Hussein’s Anfal campaign from 1984 to 1988 sought nothing less than the destruction of the Kurdish nation. A decade later, following the first Gulf War, the Kurds again faced existential danger until the Nato-enforced no-fly zone protected them from further slaughter.

Now the Peshmerga may once again be called upon to act as the decisive ground force against another brutal regime, this time the clerical leadership in Tehran. If that moment comes, I have little doubt they would perform with the same competence and discipline they have consistently demonstrated in the past.

During my time embedded with them in Sector 6 near Mosul, I saw a force that was not only motivated but capable of operating seamlessly alongside Western and regional militaries. Years of training with British and American partners have produced a professional army of more than 200,000 personnel. With the right intelligence and air support, they represent one of the few forces in the region capable of helping to bringing genuine stability to a post-regime Iran.

So far, however, the military approach to Iran appears to be rather binary. The rhetoric of “obliteration”, as articulated by President Trump, suggests a strategy focused primarily on destroying the regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Yet history tells us that simply demolishing infrastructure rarely secures lasting victory. One may destroy the buildings of a regime, but winning the loyalty and trust of the population requires something more, namely the assurance that they will be protected.

This is where the Kurds could play a crucial role.

The Iranian leadership is currently focused on the strategic leverage of the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to disrupt global energy flows. A movement toward Tehran from Kurdish-controlled regions could force the regime to confront threats closer to its centre of power.

With comparable international support, particularly Western air superiority, the Peshmerga could once again prove decisive.

Should operations commence in northern Iran, Kurdish forces there would likely link with their Iraqi counterparts. There is also the possibility of coordination with Syrian Kurdish fighters, including elements of the YPG who played a significant role in defeating Isis alongside American and British special forces.

In such a scenario, Iranian Kurdish fighters would almost certainly lead the advance, supported by the battle-hardened Peshmerga. Their leadership has long maintained that with sufficient air cover and intelligence support from the United States and its allies, they could successfully conduct ground operations against the regime.

Having seen the Peshmerga in the field first-hand, I would not doubt that assessment.

Of course, the preferable outcome would be for the Iranian people themselves to bring about change and form a government of their choosing. Sadly, that prospect currently appears remote. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the regime’s security apparatus remain prepared to crush dissent with ruthless efficiency.

Yet history has shown that moments of change can come unexpectedly and the regime is certainly under enormous pressure. If it has to deploy troops against the Kurds, it may not have enough left to suppress the population.

It may well be that the Kurdish people, who have endured so much at the hands of tyranny, could once again act as the catalyst for a more hopeful future.

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Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon is a former regular officer of the British Army and remains an active reservist