Trump Attempts Direct Contact with Iran's Revolutionary Guards Commander Amid Negotiation Challenges

In mid-May, the U.S. negotiation team faced difficulties in confirming whether Iranian representatives truly spoke for the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). To clarify this, senior Trump administration officials reached out to Nechirvan Barzani, President of Iraq's Kurdistan Region, trusted by both sides. Barzani, fluent in Persian and with ties to Tehran and Washington, was asked to contact IRGC commander General Ahmad Vahidi to verify the organization's stance.

On May 14, an IRGC official met Barzani in Erbil with an encrypted phone, and Vahidi expressed full support for the U.S.-Iran negotiation team’s positions, favoring a negotiated resolution. Barzani relayed this to former U.S. National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, who had initiated the contact with Barzani with approval from President Trump and Vice President Pence. The Americans proposed secret talks in Erbil, but Iran declined due to fears of Israeli intelligence interference during travel or stay.

This episode highlights the complexity of negotiating with Iran, where decision-making authority is opaque. The killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, ongoing fighting, and absence of the new leader Mojtaba Khamenei have strengthened the IRGC’s grip on power. After a ceasefire on April 8 and a summit in Islamabad, Iranian responses stalled for over ten days, raising doubts in the White House about the negotiators’ authority.

Currently, mediators from Pakistan and Qatar continue to relay messages without significant progress. Barzani recently offered renewed assistance, but former Middle East advisor Brett McGurk noted that Iran’s policy on the Strait of Hormuz remains unchanged and unlikely to shift soon.