The Trump administration reportedly turned to an unusual intermediary in an effort to establish a communication channel with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), bypassing conventional Iranian negotiators during efforts to secure a ceasefire. According to a report by Axios, then-US director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard contacted Nechirvan Barzani, president of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, and asked him to reach out directly to senior figures within Iran’s powerful military organisation. The decision to use Barzani reflected his unusual connections on both sides of the diplomatic divide.

The Kurdish leader is reportedly trusted by Washington as well as senior figures within Iran’s political and security establishment. His background and personal relationships were particularly valuable at a time when direct communication between Washington and Tehran was complicated by longstanding tensions and limited trust. Barzani has longstanding ties to Iran. He lived there during the Iran-Iraq War and studied at the University of Tehran, giving him familiarity with Iranian society and politics. He is also fluent in Farsi and, according to sources cited by Axios, has maintained personal relationships with senior members of Iran’s establishment, including figures associated with the IRGC.

These connections made Barzani a potentially useful intermediary for Washington. Rather than relying solely on formal diplomatic channels, the administration could use a figure who had existing access to people within Iran’s security establishment. The reported approach also underscored the importance of the IRGC in any effort to negotiate an end to hostilities involving Iran. Gabbard’s reported involvement came in mid-May, when the Trump administration was pursuing an avenue toward a ceasefire with Tehran. Rather than approaching only Iranian officials involved in conventional negotiations, the administration sought a channel that could reach senior IRGC figures directly.

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Barzani was consequently asked to facilitate communication between the two sides. The use of the Kurdish leadership was significant because Iraq’s Kurdistan Region occupies a strategically important position between Iran and the wider Middle East. The region has longstanding political, economic and security connections with neighbouring Iran, while its leadership has also developed close relations with the United States over several decades. According to the Axios report, the backchannel contributed to US-Iran efforts that eventually produced an interim ceasefire.

However, the arrangement did not permanently resolve the conflict, and the truce later collapsed. The episode nevertheless demonstrated how Washington was willing to rely on unconventional diplomatic intermediaries when direct engagement with Tehran remained difficult. Barzani’s role also highlights the complex relationships linking Iraq, Iran and the United States. While the Kurdistan Region maintains close ties with Washington, it shares a border with Iran and has historically had extensive contacts with Iranian political and security figures. Those overlapping relationships can provide channels of communication that are not always available to formal US diplomats.

The reported episode illustrates the broader challenge facing US-Iran diplomacy. The Iranian government contains multiple centres of political and security power, while the IRGC exercises substantial influence over Iran’s regional security policy. Reaching senior figures within the organisation can therefore be important in any effort to negotiate or maintain a ceasefire. For Barzani, the episode also demonstrated the diplomatic significance of his position as president of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region. His experience in Iran, knowledge of its language and political environment, and relationships with figures across the region reportedly made him a trusted intermediary for a highly sensitive communication effort.

The backchannel ultimately did not prevent the subsequent collapse of the ceasefire, but its reported use offers an insight into how the Trump administration approached negotiations with Iran. Rather than depending entirely on traditional diplomatic routes, Washington explored personal relationships and regional intermediaries to establish contact with influential Iranian security officials. The episode also underscores the continuing importance of informal diplomacy in conflicts where official channels are constrained. In this case, a senior Iraqi Kurdish leader with deep connections to both Washington and Tehran reportedly became the bridge through which the Trump administration attempted to communicate with Iran’s IRGC leadership.

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