“Extensive U.S. air cover” and other forms of support were offered by Donald Trump this week to Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in order to encourage an uprising against the regime, according to a report by the Washington Post, which cites sources familiar with the matter.

The sources cited by the newspaper say that Trump in recent days contacted Kurdish leaders from Iran and from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in Iraq.

According to a senior member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Washington’s request to the Kurds of Iraq was “to open the way and not obstruct the Iranian Kurdish groups inside Iraq,” while also providing logistical support. The PUK is one of the two major Kurdish parties in Iraq and is generally considered closer to Iran and more distant from Israel compared with its rival party, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).

“Trump was clear,” the PUK official said, referring to the American president’s conversation on Sunday with Bafel Talabani, leader of the Union. “He told us that the Kurds must choose a side in this battle — either with America and Israel, or with Iran.”

Trump also contacted the head of the KDP, Masoud Barzani. A senior official from his party told the Washington Post that Trump conveyed a similar message to him, adding that “this is not about who has the more active armed militias to move into Iran, but about who has greater support from within” the country.

The situation for the Kurds of Iran and Iraq is difficult. The United States has supported the Kurds in Iraq and Syria, however it has often prioritized the interests of the stronger state adversaries of the Kurds. The Kurds of Iraq have reached an uncertain compromise with Iran, with the two sides agreeing not to support attacks against each other.

The Kurds of Iran, if the current government remains in power, may face reprisals.

Israeli and American media reported the launch of an attack overnight by Iranian Kurdish forces, which later withdrew.

“We are in a very sensitive position,” the senior PUK official said. “If this ground attack fails, we don’t know what Iran’s reaction will be against the Kurdistan region in Iraq. At the same time, we cannot simply reject Trump’s request — especially when he calls us personally and asks for it.”

At the same time, however, the issue appears to be becoming more complicated, as on Thursday the Iraqi government announced that it rejects “any use of its territory to attack neighboring countries.”

The president and parliament of Iraq stated specifically that they “reject any use of the country’s territory for attacks on neighboring countries” and added that they oppose attacks against the country and Iraqi Kurdistan.

The government also said that Iraq has “a central role in maintaining security and stability in the region” and that “a diplomatic solution is the best option.”