US defense official denies claim that Kurds diverted weapons meant for Iranian protesters

WASHINGTON - A US defense official told Rudaw that reports alleging Kurdish groups diverted weapons intended for anti-government protesters in Iran are "false," directly contradicting repeated claims made by US President Donald Trump.

"These reports are false, and we are not tracking any of that," the defense official said on Monday in response to Rudaw's inquiry about allegations that weapons shipments intended for Iranian protesters had been taken by Kurdish intermediaries.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to speak freely on the issue.

The comments came after Trump again accused the Kurds on Monday of taking weapons that he claimed were meant for protesters in Iran.

"The Iranian people want to go out on the streets. They have no weapons. They have no guns," Trump told reporters. "We thought the Kurds were going to give [them] weapons, but the Kurds disappointed us. The Kurds take, take, take... I'm very disappointed in the Kurds."

Another source familiar with the matter told Rudaw that the United States had considered sending weapons to Iranian protesters, but said the weapons were never delivered either to Kurdish groups or to civilians inside Iran. According to the same source, the weapons remain stored at US military bases in the Middle East and were never transferred beyond American custody.

The allegations stem from nationwide protests that erupted in Iran in late December and quickly spread across the country, posing one of the most serious challenges to the Iranian regime in recent years. Human rights organizations monitoring the unrest say security forces responded with live ammunition and mass arrests, with tens of thousands reportedly killed or detained during the crackdown.

Since January, Trump has repeatedly expressed support for Iranian protesters through posts on Truth Social, encouraging demonstrations and promising that "HELP IS ON ITS WAY."

Questions intensified after videos circulated online allegedly showing rows of body bags in a morgue in southeast Tehran during a widespread internet blackout imposed by Iranian authorities. Reporters repeatedly pressed the administration over whether any direct assistance had been provided to protesters.

In a phone interview with Fox News reporter Trey Yingst on April 5, Trump said his administration had sent "a lot of guns" to protesters in Iran through Kurdish intermediaries, but claimed the weapons never reached their intended recipients because "the Kurds took them for themselves.

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Rudaw contacted the White House the same day seeking clarification on the president's remarks and asking which Kurdish groups were allegedly involved. The White House did not respond at the time.

Trump has continued repeating the accusation in recent weeks, including again on Monday.

On May 5, Rudaw asked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a White House press conference whether he could clarify which Kurdish groups allegedly received the weapons and whether Washington intended to retrieve them or still deliver them to Iranian civilians.

Rubio did not directly answer the question, instead focusing on the plight of Iranian protesters.

"What the President is expressing ... is he's heartbroken by these images," Rubio said. "You're unhappy that your economy doesn't work for you. You don't have freedom. You've got friends that have been shot in the head because they're out protesting."

Rubio was later asked again by another reporter about the alleged weapons shipments, but again avoided directly addressing whether any such move had taken place.

On Monday, Rudaw contacted the Pentagon, the State Department, and other US military agencies seeking clarification. Only one US military official responded, firmly denying that any such weapons transfers were being tracked.

Rudaw also sent additional questions to the White House asking when the weapons were allegedly sent, which Kurdish groups were involved, and whether the administration intended to retrieve, redeploy, or continue transferring the weapons to Iranian civilians. The White House referred Rudaw back to the president's public comments.

When confronted on Tuesday with the military official's denial, Trump told Rudaw that the officials were "wrong," without providing further evidence or details.

Separately, a senior Kurdish official told Rudaw in April that no weapons had been transferred through the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Peshmerga and denied any involvement in such an operation.

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