WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump on Monday said he prefers Kurdish forces to remain away from the ongoing Iran war, citing potential risks and complications.
“I'd rather have them stay away because I think they bring with them some problems and some difficult[ties] and they bring death, I mean, you know, to themselves, but I'd rather have them stay away,” Trump said during a press conference, responding to a question from Rudaw about the potential role of Kurdish forces in the war with Iran.
His remarks came hours after he made claims regarding US weapons allegedly sent to Iranian protesters.
“We sent guns, a lot of guns, they were supposed to go to the people so they could fight back against these thugs," Trump told reporters hours ahead of the press conference, adding that "the people that they sent them to kept them because they said, 'What a beautiful gun, I think I'll keep it.'"
"So I'm very upset with a certain group of people and they're going to pay a big price for that,” Trump added.
He continued, “But the Iranian people will fight back as soon as they know they're not going to be shot and as soon as they can get weapons. If they had weapons, not many of them, if they had weapons it would go the other way."
Trump’s remarks came after Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst said that, following the country’s deadly anti-government protests in January, “President Trump told me the United States sent guns to the Iranian protestors. He told me we sent them a lot of guns.