US senator urges arming Iranian protesters and Kurds to topple regime

Republican Senator Ted Cruz has endorsed President Donald Trump's claim of military victory in Iran and advocated for arming Iranian protesters and Kurds to overthrow the regime. In an NBC interview, Cruz stated that the US had achieved the main military objectives set by the Trump administration, asserting that Iran's military capabilities had been "decisively destroyed."

Cruz elaborated that Iran's ballistic missile and drone stockpiles were obliterated, manufacturing facilities were demolished, its air force was in ruins, navy was sunk, and most of its senior leadership was eliminated. He further noted that the naval blockade was inflicting an estimated $500 million daily damage to Iran's economy, describing the situation as "free fall."

Cruz urged President Trump and the administration to arm Iranian protesters and the Kurds, enabling them to remove the regime, while emphasizing that he did not advocate for deploying US ground forces in Iran. He estimated that the Iranian regime had killed 10,000 to 40,000 protesters since the conflict began, arguing that unarmed demonstrators should not face heavily armed forces.

Cruz's remarks followed questions from anchor Kristen Welker about Trump's declaration of mission completion, considering that the war had entered its sixth month, longer than initially expected. Cruz's comments reflect a changing focus in the US-Iran conflict, shifting from military destruction to supporting armed groups to overthrow the Iranian regime.