Trump accuses Kurdish groups of hoarding weapons sent to Iranian protesters

President Donald Trump voiced strong disappointment with Kurdish groups, alleging they kept weapons intended for Iranian protesters. "I am very disappointed in the Kurds. The Kurds betrayed us," Trump stated in an interview with Fox News. He claimed the weapons, sent by Washington to aid those demonstrating against the Iranian government, were instead kept by the Kurdish factions.

Trump elaborated on the situation, recalling that he had authorized the shipment of arms to Iran during the anti-government demonstrations in January. "I sent some weapons, but the group that was supposed to distribute them – as I said was going to happen, to my people I said, I anticipated exactly – we sent them weapons, a lot of weapons. They were supposed to get to the people, so they could fight back against these brutes," he explained.

However, Trump lamented that the intended recipients apparently kept the arms for themselves. "You know what happened? The people they were sent to kept them, because they said, 'What a nice weapon, I think I'll keep it.' So I am very angry at a certain group of people and they will pay a big price for that," he declared.

The Kurdish people, a significant ethnic group without a state, inhabit regions across Armenia, Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey. They have a history of involvement in regional political and military conflicts. In Iran, Kurdish areas have a long-standing history of resistance against the central government, including during the 2022 protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, who was of Kurdish origin. New anti-government protests in late 2025 resulted in thousands of deaths by January 2026.

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Am trimis niște arme, dar grupul care trebuia să le distribuie, așa cum am spus că se va întâmpla, oamenilor mei le-am spus, am anticipat exact, le-am trimis arme, multe arme. Trebuiau să ajungă la oameni, ca aceștia să poată riposta împotriva acestor brute.