‘US sent guns to Iranian protesters, I think, Kurds kept them’: Trump’s claim on Iran’s anti-regime demonstrations

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump claimed that Washington “sent guns” through the Kurds to Iranian protesters during the anti-regime protests. However, he believed that the Kurds may have kept them. President Trump told this to Fox News Correspondent Trey Yingst during an interview.

Trey Yingst, recounting the phone interview, said, “President Trump told me the United States sent guns to the Iranian protesters. He tells me ‘we sent them a lot of guns. We sent them through the Kurds, and the President says he thinks the Kurds kept them.”

Trump also claimed that the Iranian government “slaughtered 45,000 people” during the protests. The Iranian protests were a series of demonstrations against the Iranian government. The unrest stemmed initially from economic grievances, but rapidly adopted political overtones, with many demonstrators demanding broader systemic change.

NEW: The United States sent guns to the Iranian protesters through the Kurds, President Trump told Fox News.

“We sent guns to the protesters, a lot of them,” President Trump told me. “And I think the Kurds took the guns.” pic.twitter.com/CmAfYJVkIH

— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) April 5, 2026

According to rights groups, thousands were killed during the crackdown, while the Iranian government has said more than 3,000 people died in unrest it blamed on “terrorists” backed by Israel and the United States.

Earlier, Trump used unusually harsh language to convey his message, reminding Tehran of his deadline to ‘make a deal’ or to ‘open the Strait’, noting that Tuesday will be the day when Washington will wrap up all of Iran’s energy and civil infrastructure.

“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F****n’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah,” he stated in his post.

During an interview with Axios, Trump warned of major military action against Iran if Tehran fails to reach an agreement with Washington to end the conflict and open the strategic Strait of Hormuz before the deadline expires on Tuesday, while noting that the US is currently engaged in “deep negotiations” with the Islamic Republic.

Trump said, “There is a good chance, but if they don’t make a deal, I am blowing up everything over there,” adding that discussions are ongoing and suggested a deal could still be reached before the deadline. The remarks come amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran, with diplomatic efforts continuing alongside increasingly sharp rhetoric from both sides. (ANI)