Axios: Trump Administration Secretly Contacted Barzani to Mediate with Iran's Revolutionary Guard

According to the website Axios, the Trump administration chose Nechirvan Barzani, president of Iraq's Kurdistan Region, as a backchannel to directly communicate with leadership of Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

This decision followed U.S. doubts about the negotiating authority of Iranian officials to reach an agreement to end the war.

According to three informed sources, the White House began questioning in May the extent of power held by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to conclude an agreement, and whether their decisions might require approval from the Revolutionary Guard.

These concerns intensified after the U.S. administration believed it was close to reaching a deal, but Tehran’s delayed response lasting more than ten days raised alarm in Washington.

At that time, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard contacted Barzani on May 10 to request his help in gaining direct access to Revolutionary Guard commander Ahmad Vahidi, according to sources speaking to Axios.

Barzani, known for his strong ties to both Tehran and Washington, agreed to relay the message but insisted on speaking directly with Vahidi. On May 14, a Revolutionary Guard official arrived at Barzani’s office in Erbil and conducted a secure call with him.

During the call, Vahidi affirmed his support for Iranian negotiators and informed Barzani of the Revolutionary Guard’s position favoring resolving the crisis through negotiations.

Barzani immediately relayed the response to Gabbard, who passed it on to the White House. The Trump administration then proposed holding secret high-level talks in Erbil between senior U.S. and Iranian officials.

Meanwhile, the discussions revealed Iranian security concerns about potential targeting during the proposed meetings, particularly given the presence of Israeli intelligence. As a result, the meetings were not held.

The site reported that Pakistani and Qatari intermediaries continue exchanging messages between Washington and Tehran currently, but without any significant progress. Barzani continues offering assistance to the White House to restart communications between the two countries.

Nevertheless, Brett McGurk noted that the core issue is not the intermediary but Iran’s policy toward the negotiation file and the Strait of Hormuz—issues unlikely to change soon.