PRESIDENT TRUMP ON ARMING IRANIANS:
"I'm very upset with a certain group of people, and they're going to pay a big price for that!"
"But the Iranian people will fight back as soon as they know they're not going to be shot and as soon as they can get weapons."
"If they had weapons, not many of them, if they had weapons that would go the other way, and you know what would happen? Iran would give up in two seconds because they wouldn't be able to take it."
"But in Iran, they have absolutely no weaponry. And they've been told point blank, if you come out, if you come out to the streets, you will be killed."
"As of this morning, and we have this on pretty good information, 45,000 protesters have been killed."
In pictures: Thousands of people poured into the Kurdish Newroz capital of Akre to celebrate the Kurdish new year on Friday.
In Akre, it has become a tradition for visitors to climb the city's mountain with torches after dusk, bringing a festive spirit to the diverse city where Muslims, and Christians, and other components, have co-existed for centuries.
Akre city is 60 km north of the Kurdish capital of Erbil and falls within the administration of Duhok province.
📸: Bilind T. Abdullah/Rudaw