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18 Aug 2026, 12:49

After Donald Trump confirmed the existence of a backchannel communication between the U.S. and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and both the Iranian government and the IRGC denied it, Al Arabiya reported new details from informed sources regarding the efforts of Nechirvan Barzani, the President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, to establish contact between the U.S. and the IRGC.

Al Arabiya, citing sources close to the presidency of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, reported that Mr. Barzani has held meetings with officials from both Iran and the U.S. in an effort to reduce tensions between Tehran and Washington, including two meetings in Baghdad with Ismail Qaani, the commander of the IRGC's Quds Force.

According to Al Arabiya sources, Mr. Barzani began mediating between Iran and the U.S. in early March, just a few days after the start of U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.

Dilshad Shahab, spokesperson for the presidency of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, confirmed yesterday in response to a question from BBC Persian that the communication between the U.S. and the IRGC through Mr. Barzani is accurate: "This news has been published from a reliable source, and the names of some individuals have been mentioned as sources in this report. We also have the same information and details; all of it is true, and we confirm it. I cannot provide more information beyond what has been published for now."

The news of these contacts was first reported on Axios's website.

The Axios news site reported, citing informed sources, that the U.S. established contact with the IRGC about a month before signing an agreement with Iran, mediated by Nechirvan Barzani, the President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Ismail Baqaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, told reporters yesterday: "The news of a secret meeting between Iran and the U.S. in Erbil is completely fabricated."

Hosseini Mohibi, spokesperson for the IRGC, also reacted to Donald Trump's statements confirming the existence of a backchannel communication between the U.S. and the IRGC, saying: "Trump's lie is merely a fantasy stemming from the delusions and nightmares caused by his defeat and desperation in war."
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