Trump Claims Failed Arms Support for Iranian Protesters

President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that the U.S. aimed to provide weapons to Iranian protesters earlier this year to help them avoid further violence, but the attempt fell short due to Kurdish intermediaries who chose to keep some of the arms for themselves.

In a telephone interview with Trey Yingst, the chief foreign correspondent for FOX News, Trump mentioned, “We sent a lot of guns. We sent them through the Kurds,” adding that he believed the Kurds were hoarding the weapons. “We sent guns to the protesters, a lot of them,” he reiterated.

During January’s uprising, the Iranian regime held onto power by killing thousands of its own citizens, an effort sparked by economic collapse. While the government officially admitted to a death toll of fewer than 10,000, a whistleblower suggested the actual number could be three to four times that amount.

Trump had previously promised that “help is on the way” for the protesters and asserted that the regime would “pay a heavy price” for the violence against them. His remarks to Yingst indicated that his strategy included providing arms to the vulnerable Iranians as part of a broader plan to bolster their security.

Concerns arose that Trump’s comments could lend credibility to Iranian officials who claim the protests were not organized, but rather incited by “foreign-backed terrorists.”

Initially, as the January protests began, the Tehran regime attempted to differentiate between “good” protesters, who were merely dissatisfied with the economy, and “bad” protesters, allegedly collaborating with foreign entities. The administration blamed economic issues on U.S. sanctions, suggesting it would support genuine protesters while suppressing outsiders. However, as protests escalated, the regime reverted to its usual oppressive tactics.

Al Jazeera reported that former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, ousted during a February operation, attributed the protests and resulting violence to U.S. and Israeli involvement, noting that Trump’s personal involvement was unprecedented.

In early March, Trump talked about potentially arming Iranian Kurdish militants to counter the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Multiple reports suggested that CIA efforts were underway to supply arms to the Kurds for a potential uprising in Iran.

Kurdish officials indicated that discussions about arming them had reached an “advanced stage,” but they claimed no action took place. These officials believed they could prompt a ground war against the Revolutionary Guards shortly after the announcement, but that didn’t materialize.

On March 7, Trump expressed his aversion to using Kurdish forces as proxies against the IRGC, stating a desire not to complicate the situation further. “We are very friendly with the Kurds, but I have ruled out that possibility,” he informed reporters.

Trump maintained he had a “good relationship” with the Kurds, who were reportedly “open to intervening,” though he had told them not to participate. On Sunday, Kurdish news service Rudaw reported that multiple Iranian Kurdish opposition groups denied receiving any U.S. weapons during the protests.

Mohamed Nazif Qaderi, a senior member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran, dismissed the claims, stating their arms were old and obtained from past conflicts or local markets. “We believe in non-violent, civil demonstrations,” Qaderi affirmed.

Kako Aliyar, a leader of Iran’s Kurdish opposition group Komala, echoed this sentiment, stating, “No weapons have come to us, and we haven’t discussed this with anyone.” Another member of the militant Kurdistan National Army expressed confusion, saying, “We haven’t received any weapons in any form from the U.S. or any other country, not even a single bullet.”