The Secret Plan to Weaponize the Kurds (Part 1) - with Itai Anghel

Why did an Israeli-U.S. plan that counted on Kurdish fighters to help topple the Iranian regime fall apart?

Dan is joined by investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker Itai Anghel who risked his life to follow Kurdish fighters in Syria, Iraq and Iran to document their guerrilla warfare tactics, explore how Kurdish leaders viewed Israel, why that trust fractured, and how those experiences shaped their views of the Israeli-U.S. secret plan for Kurds to fight inside Iran. The conversation also examines why Kurdish women fighters are key, and the military, political, and regional obstacles that doomed the plot from the start. On August 10th, Part 2 will examine the plan from Israel’s intelligence and military perspectives.

Watch Itai Anghel’s documentary The Women Most Wanted in Iran

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This episode is sponsored by The Israel Democracy Institute: For resources on Israel's upcoming election and to learn more about IDI, visit elections.idi.org.il/2026.
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In this episode:

1. Who are the Kurds, and why they matter

2. The surprising Kurdish bond with Israel

3. A stateless nation with big aspirations

4. Women fighters now and in the war against ISIS

5. Why Kurdish trust in Israel and the U.S. has eroded

6. Inside the Iranian Kurdish underground

7. The Kurds’ view of the U.S.-Israeli plan for Kurdish boots on the ground in Iran

8. Why, when and how the plan for Kurdish fighters fell apart

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