The Trump administration used Iraqi Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani as a secret backchannel to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in May, after U.S. negotiators questioned whether Iranian officials actually had authority to cut a war-ending deal, according to Axios.
Accordingly, then-DNI Tulsi Gabbard called Barzani around May 10, asking him to reach IRGC commander Gen. Ahmad Vahidi. Barzani arranged a call in which Vahidi confirmed his support for the Iranian negotiators. A proposed follow-up meeting in Erbil was cancelled over Iranian security concerns. Iranian officials feared that Israeli intelligence, which they believed had extensive assets in Iraqi Kurdistan, would try to assassinate them during travel to or from the city.
The backchannel ultimately hasn’t produced a deal yet. Pakistani and Qatari mediators continue talks with little progress, and Barzani has since offered to help restart negotiations.
Trump’s Secret Backchannel to Iran’s IRGC
The Trump administration used Iraqi Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani as a secret backchannel to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in May, but the effort has not produced a deal.
