Nechirvan Barzani brokered secret US-Iran backchannel, reached IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi

The Trump administration quietly enlisted one of the Middle East’s most well-connected political figures to open a direct line to Iran’s military leadership. Nechirvan Barzani, president of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government, served as the go-between in a secret diplomatic channel connecting Washington to Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The backchannel, first reported by Axios, began in May 2026 during a period of escalating tensions between the US and Iran. It ultimately contributed to a broader US-Iran agreement reached the following month. How the backchannel came together The initiative started on May 10, 2026, when Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard reached out to Barzani. The purpose was specific: Washington wanted to know whether the IRGC, Iran’s most powerful military institution, actually supported the positions being taken by Iran’s civilian negotiating team. Four days later, on May 14, an encrypted phone was delivered to Barzani’s office in Erbil. The device enabled a secure call between Barzani and Vahidi, during which the IRGC commander confirmed that Iran’s military leadership supported the negotiators’ position...