Trump says Iranian people must have guns to fight

Key Points:

• Former President Trump stated that arming Iranian protesters is crucial, asserting that once they have guns, they will fight effectively against the regime, but he expressed caution due to past violent crackdowns that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.
• Trump claimed his administration previously attempted to send firearms to Iranian protesters via Kurdish groups, but the weapons did not reach their intended recipients, a claim denied by several Kurdish factions.
• Republican Senator Lindsey Graham supports the idea of directly arming Iranian civilians to enable them to challenge the government without US military involvement, advocating for alternative delivery channels beyond Kurdish intermediaries.
• Trump emphasized that US military and economic pressure has significantly weakened Iran’s forces, noting internal divisions and a deliberate US policy to avoid fully dismantling Iran’s military to prevent chaos similar to post-Iraq invasion outcomes.
• Despite discussing internal unrest and military pressure, Trump reaffirmed that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remains the primary US objective, insisting on strict controls over uranium enrichment and missile development.