The U.S. and Israel may be about to tip Iran past the point of no return. The Kurds voted for independence from Iraq on September 25, 2017, a move that could cause another uptick in the Middle East wars. The move drew the disapproval of the United States, Turkey, Iran and much of the international community. More than 90 percent backed separating from Baghdad in the September 25 poll.
Iran believes the United States was behind the Kurdish rebellion. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said America and Israel both benefit from the creation of a sovereign Kurdistan, according to state TV.
“The Iraqi Kurdish secession vote is an act of betrayal toward the entire region,” he said, and added, “[the] Western powers were seeking to “create a new Israel” in the Middle East”.
Israel has been the patsy of the West since the United Nations vote in 1948. The West, specifically the United States, has used Israel as its “local-kid-on-the-block” to keep the other Middle East Nations in line. Now, the Iranians believe the United States will use the Kurds in the same way. For Iran, this is a provocation that could lead to further war between the West and the Middle east, one that will put Israel and Jordan in the middle of it all.
It does not help that Israel is training Kurdish pilots. Up to 200 Kurdish pilots are being trained in both Israel and South Africa for war against Baghdad, according to sources on the ground.
Turkey, Iran and Syria fear the push for independence will spread to Kurdish populations in their nations. Turkey’s Minister of Defense Nurettin Canikli on Tuesday implied his country would take action, should the United States continue its arms shipments to the Syrian Kurdish forces fighting the Islamic State (IS).
“Now the Daesh threat is almost over. There is no more justification or reason to give weapons to this group [YPG],” he said, using an Arabic acronym for the IS.
The Kurdish uprising in Iraq is leading the way for Syria’s Kurds to make the same move. Syria’s Kurds were also making moves towards greater autonomy.
There is no way out of the coming conflict between the East/Middle and the West. Obama started thie current mess by creating the Arab uprising, but it is now President Donald Trump who is keeping the United States’s presence going in a region of the world that does not want America there. The Russians have taken up military positions throughout the Middle east, positions that nation did not have before the Syrian war. Trump’s pullout in southern Syria appeared to indicate the United States would pull back from the Middle East. Pulling back left Iran, Hezbollah, Pro-Iranian and Iraqi militias on Israel’s and Jordan’s border. Now, a Kurdish uprising will mean the United States will stay in the Middle East. Iran and Russia might see this move as hostile and a pre-cursor to direct war between the West and the Middle East.
If the United States is Gog, this move could create a further need for more U.S. troops and equipment in Israel.