New Front Opens in U.S.–Israel War on Iran as Kurdish Fighters Prepare Offensive and Regional Strikes Intensify

The United States–Israel war against Iran has entered its sixth day on Thursday with signs that the conflict could expand into a new front along Iran’s northern border, even as missile strikes, naval clashes and global evacuations intensified across the region. 

Map by CIA (1992): Kurdish-inhabited area; Via: Vintage Maps on X

Kurdish officials told the Associated Press, and quoted by global news networks, that Iranian Kurdish dissident groups based in northern Iraq are preparing for possible cross-border operations into Iran, with U.S. forces reportedly ready to provide air support if the fighters join the conflict.

The development comes after intense waves of airstrikes hit dozens of Iranian military installations, police posts and frontier positions near the Iraqi border, suggesting Washington and Israel may be preparing to open a northern pressure point against Tehran. 

Encouraging armed movements among Iran’s ethnic minorities could destabilise the country internally and potentially trigger wider unrest or even a civil conflict if the current leadership weakens.

Political uncertainty inside Iran has also deepened following the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier in the war. Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s second son, is widely seen as the leading candidate to succeed him. His potential elevation would likely signal a continuation of the Islamic Republic’s hard-line policies during what may become the most turbulent period in the country’s nearly five-decade history.

The war has also spread far beyond the Middle East battlefield. In the Indian Ocean, a U.S. submarine torpedo strike sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka’s southern coast as it returned from a naval exercise organised by India. At least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in the attack. The incident has raised questions among some former American officials about whether targeting a warship in international waters far from the combat zone could raise legal concerns under international law.

Meanwhile, Iran continued retaliatory strikes against Israel. Air raid sirens sounded across Tel Aviv and Jerusalem early Thursday after Iranian missiles were launched toward Israeli territory. Israel’s military responded by carrying out new attacks in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah positions in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

The war has also placed growing pressure on global aviation and evacuation networks. Governments across the world are scrambling to repatriate citizens stranded across the Middle East as commercial air traffic remains severely disrupted. Charter aircraft and military flights are routing travellers through Oman, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which have emerged as key evacuation hubs as regional airspace closures continue.

U.S. military planners have also acknowledged the scale of the challenge posed by Iran’s drone campaign. In a closed-door briefing to lawmakers earlier this week, top Pentagon officials warned that while American defences could intercept the majority of Iranian one-way attack drones targeting military installations, it might be impossible to stop every launch. Iran has reportedly deployed thousands of such drones in waves against U.S. and allied targets across the region.

Politically, the conflict continues to divide Washington. Senate Republicans voted down a war-powers resolution that would have required President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval before continuing military operations against Iran. 

The measure failed in the Republican-controlled chamber despite Democratic warnings that the campaign risks dragging the United States into a prolonged regional war.

Questions are also mounting over civilian casualties from the bombing campaign. The White House said it was investigating reports that a U.S.-Israeli strike may have hit a girls’ school in southern Iran that Iranian officials claim killed around 175 students. 

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration was not accepting responsibility for the incident while the Pentagon examines the circumstances of the strike.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signalled that the war could last longer than previously suggested, warning that the campaign might stretch for weeks if necessary. Additional American fighter jets and bombers are already being deployed to the region, he said, adding that the United States has sufficient weapons and resources to sustain a prolonged conflict if required.

Despite the widening crisis, the U.S. administration has attempted to downplay the economic impact. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the disruption to global oil markets caused by the conflict would be temporary and described the spike in energy prices as “a small price” for achieving U.S. strategic objectives. 

The war has already paralysed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil corridors, forcing Washington to consider naval escorts and insurance guarantees for tankers transporting energy supplies.

The latest developments follow an already volatile fifth day of fighting that saw internet blackouts inside Iran, a dramatic collapse in tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and sharply divided reactions from global leaders.