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Yeshiva World News · Aug 16, 2026

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Axios reports that President Trump’s secret channel to Tehran ran through Nechirvan Barzani, president of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region. Then-DNI Director Tulsi Gabbard reportedly asked Barzani to establish a direct line with IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi, with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance aware of the effort. Four days later, an IRGC representative arrived in Erbil with a secure phone connecting Barzani directly to Vahidi, who conveyed Iran’s interest in a negotiated solution. The planned face-to-face meeting ultimately never took place.

Axios reports that President Trump’s secret channel to Tehran ran through Nechirvan Barzani, president of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region. Then-DNI Director Tulsi Gabbard reportedly asked Barzani to establish a direct line with IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi, with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance aware of the effort. Four days later, an IRGC representative arrived in Erbil with a secure phone connecting Barzani directly to Vahidi, who conveyed Iran’s interest in a negotiated solution. The planned face-to-face meeting ultimately never took place.

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