Axios reported that the U.S. government, during negotiations with the Islamic Republic, used Nêchirvan Barzani, the president of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, to establish direct contact with the leaders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to the report by this outlet, officials in the administration of Donald Trump created a hidden channel for communication because they were not confident in the positions of the negotiators of the Islamic Republic.

Shahram Khaledi, a researcher in the history of the Middle East and international relations, said that Nêchirvan Barzani plays a role similar to that of Qatar as a mediator between the United States and the Islamic Republic. He added that despite the Islamic Republic’s attack on Qatar and reports about Qatar’s downing of Iran’s Sukhoi fighters, Doha has still maintained a communication channel between Tehran and Washington, and Barzani has also taken on a similar role.