Trump encourages Kurdish forces in Iraq to attack Iran

The conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran is drawing in more countries in the region. US President Donald Trump said he supports the possibility of Iranian Kurdish forces operating in Iraq launching attacks against Iran.

Iranian Kurdish militias have consulted the US on whether and how to attack Iranian security forces, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

Israel said on Friday it had launched a ‘massive wave’ of attacks on infrastructure in Tehran. At the same time, Iran continues to launch missile and drone strikes on targets in the region. According to Qatari authorities, an Iranian drone also struck the Al Udeid US air base in Qatar, the largest American base in the Middle East, with no casualties reported.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had attacked several targets, including the Israeli Ramat David air base, US positions in Kuwait and a base in the Iraqi city of Erbil.

The conflict has also spread beyond the Middle East. Azerbaijan said four Iranian drones violated its airspace and injured four people in the Nakhchivan exclave. President Ilham Aliyev threatened retaliation.

The US Department of Defense said the country has enough ammunition to continue operations against Iranian missile and naval capabilities. According to the Pentagon, the number of Iranian missile attacks has fallen by 90 per cent since the start of the war.

(reuters, est)