Donald Trump has voiced support for Iranian Kurdish forces launching attacks against Iran from neighbouring Iraq, as the rapidly expanding Middle East conflict continues to draw in multiple countries across the region.
Speaking to Reuters on Thursday, the United States president said he would support such a move if Kurdish groups based in northern Iraq chose to target Iranian security forces.
“I think it’s wonderful that they want to do that, I’d be all for it,” Trump said when asked about the possibility of Iranian Kurdish fighters entering Iran.
The comments come as hostilities intensified, with Israel announcing on Friday that it had begun a “broad-scale” wave of strikes against infrastructure targets in Tehran. At the same time, cities across the Gulf region were reportedly hit by renewed Iranian bombardments.
The conflict, now in its seventh day, has expanded far beyond its initial fronts. Iran has reportedly launched attacks targeting Israel as well as several countries including Cyprus, Turkey and Azerbaijan, while tensions have spread to the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka, where a US submarine is reported to have sunk an Iranian naval vessel.
Two Iranian drone strikes also targeted an opposition camp in Iraqi Kurdistan on Thursday, according to regional security sources.
Iranian Kurdish militias based along the Iran-Iraq border in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq have reportedly been consulting with US officials in recent days about whether and how to launch operations against Iranian security forces in western Iran. Sources familiar with the discussions say the groups have been training for possible incursions aimed at weakening Iran’s military while US and Israeli forces continue strikes on Iranian targets.
Trump also suggested the United States should play a role in determining Iran’s future leadership following the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed in airstrikes last week.
“We’re going to have to choose that person along with Iran. We’re going to have to choose that person,” he said.
However, Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, said Washington was not expanding its military objectives despite Trump’s remarks.
“There’s no expansion in our objectives. We know exactly what we’re trying to achieve,” he said on Thursday.
The widening conflict represents a major political gamble for Trump. Opinion polls in the United States indicate limited public support for the campaign, with many Americans concerned about rising fuel costs linked to disruptions in global energy supplies.
Financial markets have also reacted to the escalating tensions. Shares on Wall Street fell on Thursday as oil prices surged, reflecting fears of prolonged instability. The crisis has already disrupted global energy flows, cutting off roughly a fifth of worldwide oil and liquefied natural gas supplies while causing significant disruption to international air travel and global logistics networks.