How Trump bypassed Iran's negotiators and used Kurdistan's Barzani to contact IRGC

During his presidency, Donald Trump pursued unconventional channels to engage with Iran, seeking to bypass traditional diplomatic routes. Instead of engaging with designated Iranian negotiators, Trump looked to establish contact through intermediaries.

One such effort involved leveraging Masoud Barzani, a key figure in Iraqi Kurdistan and a long-standing contact for various international players. Trump's administration reportedly used Barzani as a conduit to reach out to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

This strategy aimed to circumvent formal diplomatic channels and establish a more direct, albeit indirect, line of communication with a powerful faction within the Iranian establishment. The use of a regional leader like Barzani highlights the unconventional and often secretive nature of the administration's foreign policy initiatives concerning Iran.