(C) Axios

The White House stated on the 4th (local time) that President Donald Trump has been in contact with Kurdish leaders following the airstrikes on Iran.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a briefing, "He did indeed speak with Kurdish leaders regarding our bases in northern Iraq."

However, she denied media reports suggesting these contacts were aimed at supporting Kurdish militants to overthrow the Iranian regime, stating, "It is absolutely not true that the President has agreed to such a plan."

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported the previous day that President Trump contacted Kurdish leaders on the 1st, but had not yet made a final decision on whether to provide weapons, military training, or intelligence support to these groups.

When asked if the U.S. is considering deploying ground troops to Iran, Leavitt replied, "It is not part of the operational plan at this time," but added that President Trump "will not remove any (military) options currently on the table."

Regarding whether the attack on Iran—motivated by its pursuit of nuclear weapons—changes the U.S. stance on North Korea, Leavitt stated, "There is no change in our position concerning North Korea."

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]