Secret Channel Linked Trump Directly to Iran's Revolutionary Guards Commander Amid Negotiations

In mid-May 2026, during intense negotiations aimed at ending the conflict with Iran, the U.S. faced a critical challenge: verifying whether the Iranian negotiation team truly represented the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). To resolve this, senior Trump administration officials bypassed the Iranian negotiators and sought direct confirmation from the IRGC leadership.

The U.S. turned to Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq, who uniquely commanded trust from both American officials and IRGC leaders. Barzani, fluent in Persian and well-connected in Tehran, was asked by then-National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard to confirm if General Ahmad Vahidi, commander of the IRGC, supported the ongoing negotiations led by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Barzani contacted Vahidi directly in Erbil, the Kurdistan capital, where a senior IRGC official arrived with encrypted communication equipment. Vahidi affirmed full support for the negotiation team and expressed a preference to resolve the crisis through diplomacy. Barzani relayed this positive confirmation back to the White House.

Following this, the U.S. proposed secret talks in Erbil under Barzani's auspices. Although the Iranians did not reject the idea, they expressed security concerns, fearing Israeli intelligence might target them during travel. Consequently, the clandestine meeting never took place. Meanwhile, Pakistani and Qatari mediators continued shuttling messages between Washington and Tehran, but progress remained elusive.

This episode highlights the complexity of negotiating with Iran, where decision-making is opaque and power centers like the IRGC hold significant sway, especially after the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and ensuing conflict. Barzani recently offered to help revive talks, but experts like former U.S. Middle East advisor Brett McGurk emphasize that Iran's policy on the strategic Strait of Hormuz remains a major sticking point unlikely to change soon.