'Ready for anything': Kurdish Iranian opposition leader discusses US war on Iran
A Kurdish Iranian opposition leader told ABC News that they are "ready for anything," amid unconfirmed reports that the United States may be preparing to arm Kurdish forces to spur an uprising in Iran, as the U.S. wages war on the country.
In a sit-down interview with ABC News in Iraq on Wednesday, Omar Baleki would not confirm nor deny the reports. When asked if they are preparing a ground assault on Iran, Baleki responded, in Kurdish, "We're ready for anything."
Pressed on what he meant by that, Baleki said he cannot say or predict everything that will happen, and that everything will show when the time comes on the field.
Asked what he would say to Americans who are worried that their government is potentially getting involved in another "forever war," Baleki said thinks the U.S. "owes" it to the Iranian people to get rid of the regime for good.
Several Iranian Kurdish opposition groups are based in neighboring Iraq, in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.
When asked whether the U.S. is considering arming Iranian Kurdish groups, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters Wednesday, "All I would say is, none of our objectives are premised on the support or the arming of any particular force. So what other entities may be doing we're aware of, but our objectives aren't centered on that."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also addressed reports that the U.S. is considering arming Kurdish forces in the hopes of inspiring an uprising in Iran.
"I could comment on the fact that the president has held many calls with partners, allies and leaders in the region in the Middle East. He did speak to Kurdish leaders with respect to our base that we have in northern Iraq," Leavitt said during a press briefing Wednesday. "But as for any report suggesting that the president has agreed to any such plan is completely false and should not be written."
Iran's foreign minister spoke with the president of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq on Wednesday, according to the Iranian government.
During the call, the president "emphasized the determination of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to maintain and enhance friendly relations with Iran," according to Tehran. They also discussed "strengthening cooperation" between the Kurdistan region and Iran "in order to protect border security and prevent any abuse by third parties to destabilize the region," the Iranian government said in a statement.
