Axios: US envoys lacked Iran authority verification, secret IRGC channel
Axios, citing three people, says mid-May US envoys seeking an agreement to end hostilities could not verify whether Iranian negotiators represented the IRGC, prompting a secret channel via Iraqi Kurdistan’s Nechirvan Barzani that reached an MoU that quickly collapsed.
Axios, citing three people, reports mid—May US envoys seeking an agreement to end hostilities could not verify whether Iranian negotiators represented the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The Trump administration therefore bypassed Iran's negotiators and opened a secret channel to IRGC leaders through Iraqi Kurdistan president Nechirvan Barzani, who reportedly has the trust of both Washington and IRGC leadership.
A memorandum of understanding was reportedly reached but quickly collapsed, underscoring US difficulty in identifying who holds decision authority inside Iran.