Trump administration established secret communication channel with IRGC

In mid-May, the Trump administration established a secret communication channel to engage directly with the leadership of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This move was prompted by significant uncertainty among U.S. negotiators regarding whether official Iranian delegates truly represented the interests and authority of the IRGC in discussions aimed at ending the ongoing war.

To bridge this gap, U.S. officials bypassed formal diplomatic channels and utilized Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, as an intermediary. Reports suggest that Tulsi Gabbard, the former Director of National Intelligence, played a role in facilitating this connection. Barzani was selected due to his unique position of holding the trust of both Washington and senior members of the Iranian organization.

Initially, the IRGC expressed an interest in pursuing a diplomatic settlement to the conflict. However, the situation remains fluid, as recent reports also note an unexplained attack on the office of the Iraqi Kurdistan president, raising questions about the stability and success of this back-channel diplomacy as negotiations continue to evolve.