The Trump administration established a secret diplomatic backchannel to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) through the president of Iraq's Kurdistan region [1].

This move represents a significant shift in diplomatic strategy by bypassing Iran's official negotiators to communicate directly with the military leadership that wields substantial power within the Iranian state.

U.S. officials utilized Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan region, to facilitate these communications [1, 2]. The backchannel was initiated in mid-May 2026 [1]. By using Barzani as an intermediary, the administration sought a more direct line to the IRGC leadership than traditional diplomatic routes provided [2].

The decision to bypass official Iranian representatives stemmed from a lack of certainty regarding the authority of those negotiators. U.S. officials said they could not verify whether the official representatives truly spoke for the IRGC [1, 2]. This uncertainty prompted the search for a trusted regional leader capable of bridging the gap between Washington and the Revolutionary Guard [2].

The Kurdistan region of Iraq served as the geographic and political hub for these secret interactions [1]. By routing communications through Barzani, the U.S. aimed to ensure that messages reached the actual decision-makers within the IRGC, an entity that often operates independently of Iran's formal foreign ministry [2].

This approach deviates from standard diplomatic protocols, which typically prioritize state-to-state communication through recognized embassies and foreign ministers. The use of a regional leader as a conduit allows for a layer of deniability while attempting to mitigate the risk of miscalculation between the two powers [1, 2].

“The Trump administration established a secret diplomatic backchannel directly with IRGC leadership.”

This strategy highlights the dual-power structure within Iran, where the IRGC often holds more practical authority than the civilian government. By treating the IRGC as the primary interlocutor rather than the official diplomatic corps, the U.S. is acknowledging the military's dominant role in Iranian foreign policy and security, while attempting to reduce the risk of accidental escalation through non-traditional channels.