Trump Accuses Kurdish Intermediaries of Misappropriating American Weapons for Protesters in Iran

On April 6, President of the United States Donald Trump spoke to reporters about a shipment of weapons that was sent to protesters in Iran. According to Trump, this weaponry never reached its intended recipients due to unscrupulous intermediaries, likely of Kurdish origin.

"We sent several units of weapons; they were supposed to reach the people of Iran. Do you know what happened? Those through whom we sent them kept them for themselves. I am very angry at a certain group of people, and they will pay a high price for this," Trump stated, emphasizing his outrage over the situation.

It is worth noting that earlier, on the evening of April 5, President Trump mentioned in an interview with Fox News that the U.S. had attempted to secretly arm Iranian protesters through Kurdish intermediaries. This occurred just weeks before the onset of the current war, even while Washington was engaged in negotiations with Tehran.

"We sent weapons to the protesters, and there was a lot of it," the White House chief added, noting that he believes the Kurds kept the weapons for themselves. This statement has elicited mixed reactions, as Kurdish representatives deny receiving American weapons to arm Iranian insurgents.

In particular, a senior official from the armed Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), Siamand Moeini, refuted Trump's claims, stating in a comment to Middle East Eye: "As far as I know, we, as PJAK, have received nothing. As for others, I cannot answer."

Additionally, the international relations coordinator of the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), Khana Yazdanpanah, expressed a similar sentiment. She noted that they still possess "old Kalashnikov rifles, with which we fought ISIS for five years, and the weapons they abandoned after their defeat." "Currently, we have not received any weapons from the U.S.," Yazdanpanah concluded.

This situation underscores the complexity of international relations and military strategies employed by the U.S. in its foreign policy, particularly in the context of conflicts in the Middle East. It is important to highlight that in light of recent events in the region, the issue of supporting and arming protesters is becoming increasingly relevant, and accusations of misconduct by intermediaries only complicate the situation further.