Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal reported that on March 7 local time, U.S. President Trump said he had informed Kurdish forces not to get involved in the Iran war, and if there were "very sufficient reasons," U.S. ground troops could possibly enter Iran.
"As you know, we have a very friendly relationship with the Kurds, but we don't want this war to become more complicated than it is now. I have clearly ruled out this possibility and do not want the Kurds to get involved," Trump said on Air Force One on Saturday.
Trump added that he has always had a good relationship with the Kurds, who also expressed "willingness to enter Iran," but "I really told them I don't want them to do so."
When asked about the possibility of sending ground troops, Trump said, "I don't want to discuss this now, and I think this question is inappropriate."
But he added, "Is it possible? It is possible, but only with very sufficient reasons."
"And I can say that if we really did this, Iran would be completely defeated and would not be able to resist on the ground at all," Trump said.
On March 6 local time, a member of a Kurdish organization looked at planes flying over in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. Bloomberg
Previously, the Israeli military has been creating conditions for Kurdish forces to deploy in northwest Iran, with the ultimate goal of encouraging armed Kurds to intervene against Iran.
The United States and Israel continue to strike Iran, and the range of air strikes has covered Iranian military facilities in Kurdish-populated areas along the border between Iran and northern Iraq.
In 1991, U.S. air protection helped the Kurds establish a so-called "semi-autonomous regime" in northern Iraq. Since then, the United States and its allies have relied on the Kurds in surrounding conflict areas.
According to a person who knows the views of the Iraqi Kurdish leadership, Kurdish participation in the war may trigger broader chain reactions, and Iraqi Kurdish leaders are cautious about making promises easily.
On Thursday, Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Lavijani stated that Iran has struck Kurdish organizations in Iraq and warned that Iran will not tolerate separatist movements; Turkey, meanwhile, said that organizations promoting Kurdish separatism threaten regional stability and the territorial integrity of neighboring countries.
Although some Kurdish factions are preparing for potential cross-border operations into Iran, Alaaeddin, chairman of the Middle East Institute based in Erbil, pointed out that these organizations remain divided. Even if they can put some pressure on Iran at the border, they lack the ability to directly challenge the Iranian state government.
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Original: toutiao.com/article/7614687269991039539/
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