Iran war news: CIA reportedly arming Kurdish forces as Trump says US will provide air support for uprising
President Donald Trump has said the US military would shadow ground forces to facilitate an uprising in Iran, while the Central Intelligence Agency is preparing to supply weapons to Kurdish forces.
The Washington Post reports that Mr. Trump spoke to Kurdish leaders in the Middle East and told them that a ground uprising in Iran would be supported by “large-scale air cover” from the U.S. military.
Trump also met with Iraqi Kurdish leaders Massoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani, as well as Iranian Kurdish leader Mustafa Hijri, and told them that US warplanes would help pave the way for the march towards Tehran.
“When we’re done, take over your government. It’ll be yours,” Mr. Trump had previously told a rally call to resistance fighters.
According to new reports from CNN, the CIA is planning to arm the Kurdish forces massed on Iran’s northern border.
Israel is also striking parts of western Iran, indicating that Kurdish forces are under attack from multiple fronts.
Bombing expeditions increase
As the US-Israeli campaign against Iran enters its sixth day with what residents describe as more intense bombing, Iran has vowed to retaliate everywhere for a US attack on a ship thousands of kilometers from the war zone.
Iran’s sudden postponement of a planned three-day mourning ceremony for slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has disrupted apparent plans to quickly appoint Khamenei’s hard-line son as his successor.
Speaking to AAP by phone from Tehran, 36-year-old Mohammad Reza said, “Today is worse than yesterday. They are hitting the north of Tehran. We have nowhere to go. This is like a war zone. Help us.”
Iran has vowed to avenge Wednesday’s US torpedo attack on an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, killing more than 80 sailors.
Iran’s foreign minister said the US would “bitterly regret” the precedent it set by sinking a ship in international waters without warning.
Revolutionary Guard commander Gen. Kioumars Heydari told state television: “We decided to fight the Americans wherever they are.”
Ukraine asked for support from the USA
The United States has asked Ukraine for help defending its Gulf allies against Iranian drones, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
He said Ukraine’s partners had been in touch and received “requests from the American side,” according to AAP.
Zelensky said he gave instructions to “provide the necessary tools and ensure the presence of Ukrainian experts who can guarantee the necessary security.”
US President Donald Trump, when asked about Ukraine’s offer, said, “I will receive all kinds of help from any country.”
Trump doesn’t care about oil prices
Donald Trump said his priority is to overthrow the Iranian dictatorship and that he is not worried about the rapid rise in oil prices around the world.
Mr Trump told Reuters on Thursday that rising US gas prices driven by the widening Iran conflict were a secondary consideration as the US military continued fighting on multiple fronts.
“I don’t have any concerns about that,” he said when asked about high prices at the pump.
“Once this is over, they’re going to go down real fast, if they go up, they go up, but this is a lot more important than gas prices going up a little bit.”
