Scoop: Trump calls Kurdish leaders in Iran war effort

Former President Trump contacted Kurdish leaders in Iraq to discuss the ongoing conflict involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran. These calls followed a bombing campaign authorized by Trump and occurred after months of lobbying by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu views the Kurds as potential allies who could play a significant role in the developing war. The Kurds control strategic areas along the Iran-Iraq border and have connections with Iran's Kurdish minority. Trump spoke with leaders from the two main Kurdish factions, Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani. The White House declined to provide specifics about the calls, describing them as sensitive. Kurdish groups in Iraq have faced missile and drone strikes from Iran. The Kurds are an important ethnic group with experience in combatting ISIS and have a complex relationship with Turkey. U.S. policymakers believe Netanyahu may have exaggerated the number of Kurds who would fight against Iran. The Kurds' involvement in the war, or post-war Iran, is uncertain.