KURDISTAN
Axios Exclusive: Israel’s Mediating Role in Trump’s Recent Outreach to Kurdistan Region Leaders
"The Medes" reports,
Recent diplomatic calls conducted on March 2, 2026, between Donald Trump and leaders of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) were the result of months of intensive, clandestine lobbying by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sources told Axios.
Informed sources within the White House have told Axios that Netanyahu has been leading a secret project for months to persuade Washington to establish direct contact with Erbil and Sulaymaniyah. According to this report, the Israeli Prime Minister, in at least three separate discussions with Trump’s senior advisors, emphasized that changing the political order in Tehran would not be possible without the support and involvement of the Kurds. In these meetings, Netanyahu described the Kurds as "the only reliable force and the primary key to regime change."
The Push for Strategic Realignments
A critical part of these discussions focused on the 2023 security agreement between Baghdad and Tehran. Under heavy pressure from the Islamic Republic, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRI) had previously been forced to restrict the activities of "the political parties of Iranian Kurdistan," preventing them from using KRI soil for any military operations.
According to investigations by The Medes, a significant portion of Trump’s recent calls was dedicated to this specific issue. The discussions aimed at persuading the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRI) to move away from their prior security commitments to Tehran. It is believed that Trump’s outreach addressed the necessity for Erbil and Sulaymaniyah to grant these parties operational freedom, viewing their involvement as a strategic necessity for regional shifts.
These diplomatic efforts intensified significantly following the start of joint U.S.-Israeli aerial operations against Islamic Republic targets. A senior Israeli official told Axios:
"Netanyahu personally spearheaded this lobbying effort. He believes that amidst the current conflicts with Hezbollah and the strikes on Tehran, the Kurds are the most strategic allies on the ground."
Yesterday, Donald Trump held separate telephone conversations with Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani. While Trump described these negotiations as "very productive," Kurdish sources informed Axios that the primary focus was on logistical cooperation, intelligence sharing, and coordination.