Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq, served as a secret mediator between the US Trump administration and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to verify Tehran’s position during negotiations.
Key Details of the Backchannel Line
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US Outreach: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard contacted Barzani around May 10, seeking his assistance to reach IRGC Commander General Ahmad Vahidi. The request came with authorization from President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
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Verification Purpose: Washington sought to confirm whether official Iranian negotiators—Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi—had the full backing of the IRGC leadership.
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The Operation: On May 14, an IRGC official provided Barzani with an encrypted phone in Erbil. Barzani contacted Vahidi, who confirmed the IRGC supported the negotiation process to resolve the crisis.
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Barzani’s Qualifications: Fluent in Farsi and educated at the University of Tehran, Barzani maintains long-standing relationships with high-ranking Iranian officials alongside his ties to Washington.
Although the Trump administration subsequently proposed hosting secret, direct talks between US and Iranian negotiators in Erbil, the meeting did not materialize due to Iranian security concerns.
