President Donald Trump warned Saturday that more Iranian officials would be targeted in ongoing military operations, as U.S. And Israeli strikes continued against Tehran and questions arose regarding the potential involvement of Kurdish forces in the conflict. The statement, delivered via a post on Truth Social, came as several neighborhoods in Tehran were hit by airstrikes, confirmed by the Israeli military, according to the Associated Press.
The administration’s approach, described by a senior State Department official as “decapitate and delegate,” echoes a strategy previously employed in Venezuela, aiming to remove key leaders, weaken the regime, and then negotiate with a successor government. However, the situation in Iran presents unique challenges, particularly concerning the diverging interests of key U.S. Partners, Israel and the Kurdish Regional Government.
Trump’s initial openness to Kurdish involvement in the conflict – stating he would be “all for it” on Thursday – was reversed over the weekend. Speaking aboard Air Force One on Saturday, after attending a ceremony for American service members killed in the conflict, Trump stated he had instructed Kurdish forces not to enter Iran. “I don’t want the Kurds to go into Iran… They’re willing to go in, but I’ve told them I don’t want them to go in… The war is complicated enough as It’s… We don’t want to observe the Kurds get hurt or killed,” he told reporters. This shift followed earlier reports that Trump had discussed the possibility of Kurdish involvement with Kurdish leaders, and that Iraqi Kurdish groups may have already crossed the border, claims denied by both the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government.
The change in position came after Trump had initially voiced support for Kurdish participation, stating it would be “wonderful” if they crossed the border into Iran. The Times of Israel reported that Trump’s comments came as the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran entered its second week. The Kurds control strategic areas along the Iran-Iraq border and possess thousands of soldiers, making their potential involvement a significant factor in the conflict’s development, as noted in a recent report by Axios.
The decision to discourage Kurdish involvement appears to stem from concerns about escalating the conflict and the potential for fragmentation within Iran. The administration’s war partners, Israel and the Kurds, have their own ambitions that may not align with a stable, unified Iran. The potential for an offensive by Iranian Kurdish forces based in Iraq had gained attention, but Iraqi officials have emphasized that their territory would not be used as a launching point for attacks against neighboring countries.
Trump’s administration has too been in communication with Kurdish leaders regarding the situation. According to Axios, Trump spoke by phone with Kurdish leaders in Iraq on Sunday to discuss the war with Iran and potential next steps. The U.S. Has identified seven service members killed in the conflict with Iran, as reported by Fox News.
