Fighters from the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), an Iranian-Kurdish political party, train at a base outside Arbil, Iraq, on February 12. [Reuters/Yonhap News]

Amidst circumstances suggesting involvement in a ground war coinciding with the offensive by the United States and Israel against Iran, there have been indications of significant vehicle purchases by Kurdish groups for combat operations.

On March 5 (local time), U.S. CNN reported that a car dealership owner in Arbil, the capital of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, stated that an Iranian-Kurdish militia had purchased 50 Toyota Land Cruiser LC71 vehicles.

This purchase was made on March 3, the day before reports began to emerge widely that Kurds had joined forces with the U.S. and Israeli governments to launch ground offensive operations targeting Iran.

While the purpose of the vehicle purchase could not be confirmed, CNN explained that these vehicles are four-wheel-drive models suitable for rugged terrain. The border regions between Iraq and Iran are mountainous.

CNN decided not to disclose the name of the militia group that purchased the vehicles to protect the dealership owner's safety.

Toyota Land Cruiser LC71 [Captured from Toyota website]

Amid these developments, the Donald Trump administration has been in contact with various Kurdish factions, promising U.S. support contingent on their participation in a ground war against Iran, according to the U.S. daily Washington Post (WP).

In recent calls with leaders of some Kurdish factions, President Trump offered "full U.S. air support" to enable pro-Iran-opposition Iranian-Kurds to seize control of western Iran, sources said.

A senior official from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), a major political party in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, told the WP that "the U.S. has asked the Iraqi Kurds to clear the way for Iranian-Kurdish groups consolidating within Iraq and to provide logistical support."

Furthermore, President Trump reportedly told Bafel Talabani, a PUK leader, during a phone call that the Kurds must choose whether to side with the U.S. and Israel or with Iran.

A senior official from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), another major party, also confirmed that President Trump had called the party leader to convey this message.

However, some moderate Kurdish leaders are adopting a cautious stance, concerned about being embroiled in a proxy war between major powers.

In a statement released today, Madam Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed, Iraq's First Lady and of Kurdish descent, appealed regarding reports of Kurds being deployed for combat against Iran, saying, "Leave the Kurds alone. We are not hired guns."

On March 5 (local time), reports also emerged that Kurds had joined forces with the U.S. and Israel to launch ground operations inside Iran. According to U.S. Fox News, thousands of Kurdish troops have entered Iran from Iraq to commence ground assault operations. With Iran struggling against airstrikes from the U.S. and Israel, the involvement of the Kurds could become a significant variable in the war. [Yonhap News] 

The Kurdish population numbers between 30 and 40 million, scattered across Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria. They have maintained a strong ethnic identity while enduring persecution and oppression.

The U.S. has a long history of cooperation with Kurdish militias in the region, but has also abandoned them at times when they were no longer strategically valuable.

Referring to this history, Madam Shanaz emphasized, "The Kurds in Iraq have finally achieved a degree of stability and dignity in their lives. We will not accept being treated like pawns on a chessboard by global powers."

Additionally, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the official leadership of Iraqi Kurdistan, denied reports that Kurdish forces opposing the Iranian regime were being prepared for a ground war against Iran.

In a social media post today, the autonomous government stated, "We do not participate in any campaign to expand regional wars and tensions."