US Supplied Weapons to Anti-Regime Iran Protesters via Kurdish Routes, Says Trump

Former US President Donald Trump has made startling remarks regarding the supply of firearms to anti-regime protesters in Iran during the ongoing unrest in the country. Speaking to Fox News correspondent Try Yingst, Trump said that the United States had sent a significant number of guns to the protesters through Kurdish channels. However, he suggested that the weapons may not have reached the intended recipients. “We sent them a lot of guns. We sent them through the Kurds. And I think the Kurds kept them,” Trump said. He reiterated, “We sent guns to the protesters, a lot of them. And I think the Kurds took the guns.”

The unrest in Iran erupted on December 28, 2025, following a sudden collapse of the national currency. Skyrocketing inflation, mismanagement of essential services, and deteriorating living conditions triggered widespread public anger. Initially, shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar staged strikes and closed their businesses, which soon escalated into nationwide street protests. Citizens demanded a fundamental overhaul of the political system, calling for the end of the Islamic Republic and a transition to a new form of governance.

Amid the protests, violence and clashes with security forces have been reported. According to UN Special Rapporteur Mai Sato, as of mid-January 2026, at least 5,000 people had been killed, though some medical sources indicate the death toll could be as high as 20,000. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei stated on January 17 that “thousands of people” were killed in the unrest. Khamenei himself was later killed on February 28, adding to the political instability gripping the nation.

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Trump’s remarks highlighted the role of Kurdish groups in the region. The Kurds are an ethnic minority spread across Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, and Armenia, with an estimated population between 25 million and 45 million. In Iran, Kurds make up nearly 10 per cent of the population. Historically, the Sunni Kurdish community has often clashed with Tehran’s Shia-led government over demands for autonomy, cultural rights, and language freedoms. Kurdish groups such as the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), formed in 2004, have long waged armed struggles against Iranian authorities from bases in northern Iraq, occasionally carrying out attacks on Iranian security forces.

The US claims of supplying weapons to protesters, coupled with Trump’s suggestion that the Kurds may have withheld them, add another layer of complexity to the ongoing Middle East tensions. Analysts note that if true, it reflects the challenges of coordinating support in a region with multiple ethnic and political factions. The situation in Iran remains tense, with protests, armed clashes, and political upheaval continuing to unfold. International observers and governments are closely monitoring the situation for potential escalation and humanitarian impact.

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