By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA STELLA MARTANY and RASHID YAHYA Associated Press
Kurdish Iranian dissident groups based in northern Iraq are preparing for a potential cross-border military operation in Iran, and the U.S. has asked Iraqi Kurds to support them, Kurdish officials have told The Associated Press. Kurdish party leaders have also discussed the Iran crisis with President Donald Trump, according to Iraqi Kurdish officials. One official says Trump has asked them to open the border and back the groups militarily. Iraqi Kurdish leaders fear Iranian retaliation. Recent drone and missile strikes have already hit the region, damaging homes, and disrupting electricity. Iraq also reinforces the border and the Iraqi government has vowed to stop infiltrations.
By JON GAMBRELL and FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press
A Iran returns to an uneasy calm after protests led to a violent crackdown, a senior cleric is calling for the death penalty for detained demonstrators. Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami's sermon Friday also threatened U.S. President Donald Trump. However, Trump struck a conciliatory tone, thanking Iran's leaders for not executing hundreds of protesters so far, signaling he may be backing away from military action. Executions and the killing of peaceful protesters are two of the red lines laid down by Trump for possible action against Iran. The protests began over economic issues, and have challenged Iran's theocracy. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports a death toll of 2,797.
