In mid-May, the Trump administration established a direct, secret backchannel to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) leadership. Washington took this step after American negotiators questioned whether Iran’s diplomatic team had real decision-making authority. Therefore, U.S. officials bypassed formal channels and tapped Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan Region, as their secret intermediary. This covert diplomatic effort highlights the central role of military commanders in shaping Iranian foreign policy decisions.
Throughout these high-stakes discussions, American representatives sought to negotiate a comprehensive agreement to end regional hostilities. However, Iranian envoys repeatedly delayed their official responses for more than ten consecutive days. Consequently, White House officials suspected that military commanders in Tehran were overruling diplomatic representatives. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard then contacted President Nechirvan Barzani around May 10 for assistance. President Barzani maintains a unique level of trust among both American officials and senior figures within Iran.
President Barzani previously lived in Iran and speaks fluent Farsi, which he learned during his university studies in Tehran. Furthermore, he maintains long-standing personal relationships with influential security officials across the Middle East. Director Gabbard requested that President Barzani determine whether Iran’s military leaders supported the ongoing diplomatic negotiations. On May 14, an Iranian courier delivered an encrypted phone directly to Barzani’s office in Erbil. Subsequently, President Barzani spoke directly with Iranian General Ahmad Vahidi to assess the military leadership’s position.
During the secure conversation, General Vahidi reportedly confirmed his full support for the ongoing peace talks. Barzani immediately relayed this information to Director Gabbard and senior White House advisers. Following this breakthrough, American officials proposed holding confidential, face-to-face negotiations between the two sides in Erbil. However, Iranian officials rejected the proposed venue because they feared potential foreign intelligence operations. They expressed concerns about possible targeted strikes against their representatives while traveling through the Kurdistan Region.
This diplomatic initiative reveals how political authority has increasingly shifted toward military commanders inside Iran. Recent conflicts and leadership changes have strengthened the military’s influence over foreign policy and national security decisions. Currently, external mediators from Pakistan and Qatar continue to transmit formal messages between Washington and Tehran. However, regional experts argue that deep disagreements over maritime transit routes continue to impede further progress. Moving forward, finding trusted intermediaries will remain essential if the two countries attempt to resume negotiations.