In a dramatic revelation, thousands of Kurdish fighters were secretly brought to Israel and underwent operational training as part of a sweeping Mossad plan to send them into Iran and help trigger the collapse of the Islamic regime, according to details revealed by Israel’s Channel 13.

The highly ambitious operation, code-named “Cat in the Boots,” began taking shape following Operation Rising Lion in June 2025. Then-Mossad Director David Barnea strongly backed the plan and presented regime change in Tehran to Israel’s political leadership as an achievable goal.

The plan was far beyond the conceptual stage. Thousands of Kurdish fighters actually traveled to Israel, where they trained for operational scenarios ahead of a potential entry into Iran. During their preparations, the fighters were instructed that any harm to civilians would result in Israel cutting off its assistance.

The plan envisioned the Israeli Air Force launching a massive assault in Iran’s Kurdish region to open an entry route for Kurdish forces into the country. Israeli planners believed that initial successes by the Kurdish forces on Iranian soil could ignite demonstrations involving millions of Iranians, placing enormous pressure on the regime and potentially bringing about its downfall.

When massive anti-regime demonstrations erupted in Iran in January 2026, officials considered accelerating the operation. Israel, however, sought additional time amid concerns that the forces were not yet sufficiently prepared. During a White House meeting the following month, President Trump asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when Israel wanted to move forward and when it would be ready. Barnea estimated that bringing down the regime could take approximately one year, while IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir believed it could take as long as three years.

Trump eventually gave the green light and Israel launched its campaign — but just days later, a dramatic order from Washington brought the Kurdish component of the operation to a halt. Three days after the campaign began, the White House instructed Israel not to send the Kurdish forces into Iran. “Three days after the campaign began, we got a ‘Don’t,’” a senior Israeli official said.

Israeli officials attributed the reversal to opposition from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and pressure from Vice President JD Vance. Israel’s political leadership and the Mossad attempted to persuade Washington to reverse the decision but were unsuccessful. Barnea subsequently presented an alternative plan, which security officials described as inferior to the original and not nearly as prepared. The alternative ultimately failed to produce the results Israel had hoped for.

The operation also involved a previously reported effort surrounding former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Israeli planners had identified Ahmadinejad — referred to internally as “the friend” — as a possible candidate to lead Iran if the existing regime were toppled.

Separately, Channel 13 reported Sunday that another Mossad initiative, known as “Project Garden,” prompted an unusual internal review inside the intelligence agency. The worldwide influence operation, launched following October 7 and managed outside Mossad headquarters by a well-known campaign manager, was reviewed following claims of irregularities in financial conduct. The Mossad said the review was intended to formalize procedures and that no financial embezzlement was uncovered.

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