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By Steve Mollman
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Iranian Kurdish political groups and armed factions have publicly rejected President Donald Trump’s claim that they kept U.S. weapons intended for Iranian protesters, calling the allegation false and potentially dangerous as fighting between the United States, Israel and Iran continues.
Trump made the assertion during a phone interview with Fox News on Sunday, saying the U.S. sent guns to Iranian protesters “through the Kurds” but that he believed the weapons never reached their intended recipients. He repeated the claim on Monday morning while talking to reporters outside the White House.
Kurdish leaders say that no such weapons were delivered and warn that the claim could expose them to retaliation from Tehran.
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When reached for comment, the Trump administration pointed Newsweek to the remarks the president made outside the White House on Monday morning.
Why It Matters
Trump’s comments risk inflaming tensions with Kurdish groups that have long worked with the U.S. against common enemies, including ISIS. The remarks also bolster Iranian government assertions that the protests were foreign-backed, a narrative Tehran has used to justify mass arrests, executions and cross-border strikes on Kurdish opposition bases in Iraq.
Kurdish leaders say Trump’s statements could make them a target at a moment when they are already under pressure from Iranian drone and missile attacks.
What to Know
Speaking to Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst on Sunday, Trump said the U.S. had attempted to supply weapons to Iranian protesters during the nationwide demonstrations that erupted in late December and January. “We sent guns to the protesters, a lot of them,” Trump said. “We sent them through the Kurds. And I think the Kurds took the guns.”
The Kurds are an indigenous people of northern Mesopotamia and its surrounding highlands, today spread across southeastern Turkey, northeastern Syria, northern Iraq, northwestern Iran and parts of Armenia.
While repeating the allegation on Monday to reporters outside the White House, Trump said he was “very upset with a certain group of people” who he claimed kept weapons that were supposed to go to “the people of Iran,” warning that they would “pay a big price.”
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Multiple Iranian Kurdish groups denied the accusation. Leaders from parties spanning the Kurdish political spectrum told regional and international outlets that they did not receive U.S. weapons during the protests and had no role in distributing arms to demonstrators.
While Kurdish groups are divided among multiple factions and leaders across the region—often with different political goals, such as autonomy, federalism, independence and reform—a broad array of those groups denied Trump’s claims.
Siamand Moeini, senior figure in the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), told Middle East Eye that his group had received nothing from Washington. “We as PJAK, as I know, have not received anything. As for others, I cannot answer,” he said.
Hana Yazdanpanah, foreign relations coordinator for the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), also denied receiving U.S. arms. She said the group is still relying on older weapons left over from the fight against ISIS and equipment abandoned after the extremist group’s defeat. “We have received no single weapon from the U.S. at this time,” she told Middle East Eye.
Representatives of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) issued similar denials. Hejar Berenji, PDKI representative, said the party did not receive any weapons during the demonstrations, according to reporting by multiple outlets.
The Jerusalem Post reported that various Iranian Kurdish opposition groups—including PDKI, PAK, PJAK, Komala factions and the Organization of Iranian Kurdistan Struggle (Khabat)—rejected Trump’s claim. The groups, which span nationalist, leftist and religious currents, said they feared the allegation could provoke harsher action from Tehran.
Al Jazeera reported that Kurdish officials expressed surprise at Trump’s comments, saying that U.S. messaging on Kurdish involvement in the Iran war has been inconsistent. Trump had previously floated support for Kurdish action against Iran before later saying he did not want them drawn into the fighting.
The protests Trump referenced began in late December amid economic hardship and spread rapidly across Iran. Rights groups say Iranian security forces killed thousands while crushing the demonstrations, though casualty figures remain disputed. Tehran has insisted the unrest was orchestrated by foreign enemies and has since carried out executions and cross-border strikes, including attacks on Kurdish opposition positions in northern Iraq.
Trump’s assertion that the U.S. attempted to arm protesters has drawn scrutiny because it appears to confirm Iranian claims of outside interference. Kurdish leaders say that by naming them as intermediaries, the president has placed them in a precarious position.
What Happens Next
Diplomatically, Trump’s remarks come as the U.S. continues to signal possible escalation if Iran does not comply with demands related to the Strait of Hormuz and broader negotiations tied to the ongoing war. Iranian officials are likely to point to Trump’s remarks as further evidence of U.S. involvement in the protests.
On the ground, Kurdish groups say their immediate concern is security. Several factions have already been targeted by Iranian strikes since the war began, and leaders warn that Trump’s accusation could invite further attacks.
Updated on 4/6/2026 at 4:57 pm ET with the White House response.
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