US President Donald Trump claimed that Washington armed Iranian opposition groups and protesters during recent anti-government demonstrations. According to Fox News, he stated this in a phone interview with Trey Yingst on Sunday morning, asserting the US sent guns to Kurdish groups involved in the protests.
Key Takeaways
President Trump claimed the US armed Iranian opposition groups during recent protests, which Kurdish organizations denied. Protests began over economic issues but escalated nationwide. Death toll estimates vary widely between UN and Iranian officials. Trump threatened strikes on Iran's infrastructure if no deal is reached by his deadline.
- President Trump claims US sent guns to Kurdish groups involved in Iranian protests
- Multiple Iranian Kurdish organizations deny receiving weapons from the US
- Protests started over economic crisis but spread nationwide across Iran
- Death toll estimates range from 3,117 (Iranian officials) to at least 5,000 (UN)
- Trump threatened strikes on Iran's infrastructure if no deal reached by Tuesday deadline
The claims have been denied by several Iranian Kurdish organizations. Mohammed Nazif Qaderi, a senior official from the opposition Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), told Rudaw, an Iraqi broadcaster based in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq, that “those statements made are baseless and we haven’t received any weapons. The weapons we have are from 47 years ago.” Other Kurdish Iranian opposition parties also denied Trump’s claim.
The protests in Iran started on December 28 among shopkeepers in downtown Tehran who were angry about a deepening economic crisis and the falling value of the Iranian rial. They soon spread to big and small cities across the country, morphing into nationwide demonstrations as hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets.
Estimates of deaths during protests vary widely. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Iran Mai Soto said at least 5,000 people were killed, with a possible death toll as high as 20,000. Iranian authorities put the number at 3,117, rejecting claims that state forces were responsible.
The Guardian reported that President Trump has set a deadline of 8pm ET on Tuesday for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes on energy facilities and bridges. At a press conference, he stated that Iran could be 'taken out in one night' and that today would see the largest volume of strikes since the operation began.
Trump also claimed that Iranian civilians welcomed US strikes on Iran’s infrastructure, saying they were “willing to suffer” the loss of power and basic services to achieve freedom from the Islamic Republic. The Foreign Ministry in Tehran responded diplomatically, stating that a diplomatic solution could not happen with threats and ultimatums.
According to The Guardian, Iran has put forth its own proposal addressing security concerns and rights, holding onto the Strait of Hormuz as leverage. Most Iranians are seen as unwilling to suffer from bombings, viewing limited military intervention as unlikely to bring freedom and democracy.
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