ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump said Saturday he ruled out Kurdish involvement in the war with Iran, saying Washington does not want the conflict to become “more complex.”

US and Israeli media reported in recent days that the American administration has been engaging with Kurdish armed groups in Iraq and providing support against Tehran.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Miami, Trump said the US maintains good relations with the Kurds but has advised them not to enter the war.

“We’re very friendly with the Kurds, as you know, but we don’t want to make the war any more complex than it already is,” said Trump.

He added that he explicitly told Kurdish groups not to take part in the fighting despite their willingness to fight.

“I don’t want the Kurds going in. I don’t want to see the Kurds get hurt, get killed,” he said.

Trump suggested that the war could reshape Iran’s future, saying the map may not look the same once the war ends.

When asked whether Iran’s borders would remain unchanged, he said: “That I can’t tell you. Probably not.”

The president also signaled that the US may seek political change in Tehran, saying Washington wants “to pick a president that’s not leading them into war.”

Trump also claimed that US strikes had severely weakened Iran’s leadership structure.

“We got rid of the top leadership, and we got rid of the second level of leadership,” he said, adding that Iran is now on its “third or fourth level of leadership.”

He said deploying US ground troops to secure enriched uranium at Iranian nuclear sites could be considered at a later stage, but not now.

“At some point, maybe we will, that would be a great thing, but right now we’re just decimating them,” he said.

‘They cut babies' heads off, they chopped women in half’

Responding to questions about allegations from Tehran that the US struck a desalination plant in the Iranian capital, Trump denied knowledge of such an attack and sharply criticized the Iranian leadership.

Iranian officials earlier accused Washington of targeting the facility in Tehran and warned that the incident could open the door to further strikes on civilian infrastructure.

Asked whether US forces had hit the desalination plant, Trump said he was unaware of the claim.

“They are among the most evil people ever on Earth,” he said.

“They cut babies' heads off, they chopped women in half. What they did, take a look at Oct. 7, take a look at what they've done over the last 47 years. So I know nothing about a desalination plant other than to say, if they're complaining about a desalination plant, we complain about the fact that they shouldn't be chopping babies' heads off, okay?”

Trump also suggested that continued Iranian accusations could justify broader targeting in the future, saying: “It will allow us to also open the door to other strikes against them.”

‘If they’re getting information, it’s not helping them much’

Asked about Russia’s role in the conflict, Trump said he had “no indication” that Russia is supporting Iran militarily.

The remarks came as questions mounted over reports that Moscow may have shared intelligence with Tehran to help target US personnel and assets in the region.

Trump declined to confirm the reports, but suggested that any such assistance had little effect on the battlefield.

“If you take a look at what’s happened to Iran in the last week, if they’re getting information, it’s not helping them much,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One.

The president also downplayed the potential implications for relations between Washington and Moscow.

Trump made the remarks shortly after attending a dignified transfer ceremony for the bodies of six US Army reservists who were killed in a drone strike in Kuwait.

The attack occurred a day after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran that have shaken regional security and unsettled global markets.

On the duration of the conflict, he said the war would continue for “whatever it takes,” claiming Iran’s military is now “almost nonexistent.”

Since Feb. 28, Israel and the US have been carrying out attacks on Iran that have killed hundreds, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several security officials.

Tehran has responded by launching missiles and drones toward Israel and Gulf countries that host US military assets.