U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he does not want Kurdish forces involved in the ongoing regional conflict.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, he stressed that including the Kurds could make the situation more complicated and put them at risk.
“We’re not looking to the Kurds going in,” Trump told reporters, adding, “We don’t want to make the war any more complex than it already is. I don’t want to see the Kurds get hurt and killed.”
He emphasized that the U.S. has had a good relationship with Kurdish groups, noting that while they were willing to participate, he had instructed them not to enter the conflict.
Earlier this week, Reuters reported that Trump had expressed support for an offensive by Iranian Kurdish fighters.
However, the White House had previously denied reports that the president was considering arming the Kurds, many of whom were trained by U.S. forces to combat Islamic State in Iraq.
Kurdish groups respond
The BBC spoke to Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in northern Iraq, who denied that their fighters had crossed the border or engaged in any offensive operations.
Hana Yazdanpana of the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), which claims to have the largest armed force among the exiled groups, said her party had repeatedly requested a no-fly zone from the U.S. to ensure the safety of Kurdish fighters.
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