United States President Donald Trump publicly criticized Kurdish groups for failing to support an uprising against the Iranian regime, despite having ultimately vetoed a proposal that would have backed such an effort, according to sources who spoke to The Jerusalem Post. The proposal reportedly involved supporting mass protests aimed at toppling the regime following joint United States and Israeli bombing operations.

Foreign reports indicated that Israel’s national intelligence agency suggested facilitating the move, while Turkey urged the United States president not to proceed. Senior Israeli defense officials, including the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces and the head of military intelligence, held discussions with top United States defense officials and, in some cases, with Trump himself in an effort to gain support for broader involvement.

According to the report, leading United States defense officials opposed the Kurdish plan from the outset, contributing to Trump’s decision to block it. Although Trump later confirmed that weapons had been provided to Kurdish forces, he claimed they failed to act, despite evidence that he had rejected the proposal, as he faces scrutiny over the Iranian regime’s continued hold on power.