A senior official from the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) explicitly stated on Thursday, March 5, that Iraqi Kurds are not involved in any ground offensive operations against Iran. Another Kurdish official further clarified that the ground forces previously reported by the media are actually Iranian Kurds who have long resided in Iraq and are now crossing from Iraq into western Iran to advance their activities. This clarification directly addresses claims of "thousands of Iraqi Kurds participating in a ground offensive against Iran," reducing the risk of the KRG being further drawn into the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict. The official emphasized that the KRG maintains a neutral stance and has not authorized any armed forces to conduct cross-border operations. While this clarification may lower the risk of conflict spillover and potentially weaken short-term safe-haven demand, thereby limiting gold price gains to some extent, the bullish trend driven by geopolitical tensions remains intact. During the Asian trading session on Thursday, March 5, spot gold fluctuated higher, trading near $5,175 per ounce with an intraday gain of approximately 0.7%.
Early media reports and statements from U.S. officials initially suggested, citing American sources, that "thousands of Kurds have crossed from Iraq into Iran to launch a ground offensive." This report sparked widespread concern about the conflict spreading to northern Iraq. However, the journalist later issued a clarification via social media, correcting the information to state that the individuals involved are Iranian Kurds who had previously fled Iran due to political persecution and settled in northern Iraq, and are now returning to western Iran to initiate an "uprising." U.S. officials confirmed that this group has indeed crossed the border but clarified they are not part of Iraqi Kurdish regular forces or Peshmerga units.
According to Kurdish media, a source from the Iranian Kurdish opposition group Komala explicitly denied that the organization has launched a large-scale ground offensive into western Iran. The source indicated that current reports contain significant contradictions and that some actions may involve sporadic guerrilla activities or small armed infiltrations rather than organized large-scale attacks. Komala, as one of the left-wing Iranian Kurdish armed groups, has long maintained bases in northern Iraq and competes with other opposition groups. This denial further adds to the uncertainty regarding the true scale of ground operations inside Iran.
Kurds in Iran account for about 10% of the country's population, primarily residing in the northwest, adjacent to Kurdish regions in Iraq, Turkey, and Syria. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iranian Kurdish opposition groups have repeatedly engaged in armed struggles, all of which were suppressed by the Revolutionary Guards. Many members of these groups fled to the Iraqi Kurdistan region, establishing long-term bases. Currently active organizations include Komala and the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (PDKI). In the context of the U.S.-Iran conflict, these groups may seize the opportunity to re-enter Iran, attempting to expand control or create instability while central government forces are dispersed. However, their limited scale makes it difficult for them to pose a substantial threat to Tehran.
Although the clarification reduces the risk of direct involvement by the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government, cross-border actions by Iranian Kurdish armed groups could still heighten internal security pressures in Iran, forcing the Revolutionary Guards to divert resources to the northwest. If U.S.-Israeli forces tacitly or indirectly support such operations, it could further provoke Iranian retaliation, expanding the conflict spillover into Iraq and the Turkish border. In the short term, such clarifications help stabilize northern Iraq, but in the long run, activities by Iranian Kurdish armed groups may become a "secondary battlefield" in the U.S.-Iran conflict, increasing regional uncertainty.
Related information may somewhat constrain gold's upward momentum and could trigger profit-taking by some safe-haven investors. However, it is important to note that the core drivers of the U.S.-Iran conflict remain unresolved—U.S. airstrikes, risks of Iranian retaliation, potential disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, and persistently high global oil prices continue to underpin gold's primary bullish narrative. The path of least resistance for gold still leans upward.
As of 10:22 Beijing time, spot gold was quoted at $5,185.60 per ounce.