Trump Administration Used Kurdish Leader as Secret Channel to Iran's Revolutionary Guards

During escalating tensions with Iran, the Trump administration sought to bypass traditional diplomatic channels by establishing a secret communication line directly to the top of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to Axios, the key intermediary was Nechirvan Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq, who has deep ties on both sides. Fluent in Persian and educated at the University of Tehran, Barzani cultivated relationships with senior Iranian officials and the IRGC, while also enjoying strong trust in Washington.

The initiative was led by then-Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who approached Barzani to facilitate direct contact with IRGC commander General Ahmad Vahidi. The effort was conducted with the knowledge of President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Barzani relayed the request to his contacts in Iran, and four days later, an IRGC representative visited Barzani's office in Erbil with an encrypted phone, enabling direct communication with Vahidi. In their conversation, Barzani sought confirmation that positions expressed by Iranian representatives through other channels aligned with the IRGC's stance. Vahidi affirmed Iran's willingness to pursue a negotiated solution, a message quickly conveyed back to Gabbard and the White House.

Following this, the U.S. attempted to arrange a secret meeting between senior officials from both countries in Iraqi Kurdistan. Although the Iranians did not reject the idea outright, they expressed deep concerns about Israeli intelligence capabilities in the region and the risk of assassination attempts on their officials en route or during the meeting. Consequently, the direct meeting never materialized. However, Barzani's channel remained active, and he recently offered to assist in renewing talks. Washington currently views the main obstacle not as a lack of intermediaries but as the fundamental divide between the sides, centered on the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

President Trump recently intensified his rhetoric, announcing plans to declare the Strait of Hormuz American territory to increase pressure on Tehran and further damage Iran's economy. Iran responded strongly; Deputy Foreign Minister Qassem Qaraei Abadi asserted that control over the strait rests solely with Tehran. Meanwhile, Mohammad Reza Naqdi, a senior adviser to the IRGC commander, suggested the conflict could continue long-term, potentially through a new American presidency, as part of a war of attrition against the U.S. This revelation highlights the Trump administration's efforts to reach Iran's real power centers outside formal diplomacy and how Iranian fears of Israeli intelligence operations hindered secret negotiations.