Falling apart from the inside? Trump wants to arm opponents of the regime in Iran

US President Donald Trump is ready to support armed militias in Iran that would like to overthrow the regime, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing US officials.

As Axios reported, Trump spoke with Kurdish leaders in Iraq on Sunday. According to “WSJ”, the president is also trying to involve other local leaders who could benefit from Tehran's weakness.

The Kurds have thousands of troops along the Iran-Iraq border and control strategic areas that could be important as the war unfolds. Israel's bombing of positions in western Iran has sparked speculation that it is paving the way for a Kurdish offensive.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt emphasized in a statement that Trump is in talks with many regional partners. She did not confirm Trump's goals as reported in the media.

Officials noted that Trump has not yet made a final decision on the matter. It is not known whether support for anti-regime groups would include weapons supplies, training or intelligence assistance.

The president, announcing the start of American-Israeli strikes against Iran, called on the Iranians to rise up and take power. As the newspaper noted, by offering support to armed resistance groups with different goals, Trump is going beyond a call for insurrection.

Axios recalled that during one of his meetings with Trump at the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who “relentlessly” called for attacks on Iran and regime change in that country, advocated turning to the Kurds regarding such actions. Israel has long had close relations with Kurds in Syria, Iraq and Iran.

From Washington Natalia Dziurdzińska (PAP)

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