Iran warns of response to any Israeli threat, demands Iraq act against Kurdish groups

The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters issued a statement on Friday warning that Iran considers the movement of Israeli military aircraft in the skies of neighboring countries towards Iran as a dangerous act and a threat. The statement said, "If America is unable to contain and control the Zionist regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran will not tolerate any threat against it and considers it its right to respond to these dangerous actions."

Separately, Iran has delivered a formal ultimatum to the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) through Iraqi Ambassador to Tehran Yasser al-Hajjaj. Tehran demands that Baghdad and Erbil either detain and extradite leaders and operatives of anti-Iran terrorist groups to Iran, or facilitate their relocation to a third country within a specified timeframe. Iran considers the continued presence of these groups in Iraq's Kurdistan Region a direct threat to its national security.

Iranian forces have conducted repeated strikes in recent months, including a June 8 operation targeting terrorist group headquarters in Sulaymaniyah. Tehran has previously warned that if separatist groups enter Iran from the region, all facilities in the Kurdistan region of Iraq will be widely targeted.

In related news, BBC Persian senior correspondent Jiyar Gol reported that the United States had developed a plan for a ground invasion of Iran involving Kurdish armed groups, which was pushed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Gol, Netanyahu spent about an hour of his White House meeting with President Donald Trump pressing the idea that Kurdish groups could help bring about the collapse of the Islamic Republic. Trump initially agreed, and limited US financial support was extended for preparations, with a larger weapons transfer promised. The plan reportedly called for operations in Iran's Kermanshah, Ilam, Kurdistan and West Azerbaijan provinces approximately 72 hours after the start of war. However, Trump later decided against pursuing the plan, and announced he did not want the Kurds to enter the war.

Israel has long maintained ties with Kurdish groups, viewing them as a buffer against shared adversaries. The Mossad has established intelligence centers in Iraq's Kurdistan region, and Kurdish militias are reportedly backed by both Mossad and the CIA. These claims have not been independently verified by official sources. According to Mehr News and PressTV, the report highlights ongoing tensions and the complex geopolitical dynamics in the region.