Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Monday dismissed as “fabricated” an Axios report claiming that former U.S. intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard had established a secret backchannel with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) through the president of Iraqi Kurdistan.
Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the report was a “media trick and psychological warfare aimed at creating division among decision-making bodies in the Islamic Republic of Iran.” He added that the story was “totally fabricated.”
Alleged backchannel details
Axios reported on Sunday that Gabbard, who served as Director of National Intelligence until her resignation in late June, had initiated the backchannel in May, using Nechirvan Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, as an intermediary.
According to the report, Barzani leveraged his connections with the IRGC to reach its leader, Gen. Ahmad Vahidi. Vahidi reportedly expressed support for Iran’s lead negotiators, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, at a time when many observers suspected the IRGC of trying to sabotage ongoing nuclear talks.
The Axios report said Barzani relayed messages back to Gabbard, and the Trump administration considered expanding his role into a more formal intermediary role, potentially arranging direct U.S.-Iran talks in Erbil. However, Iranian officials allegedly rejected that proposal, partly out of fear that Israel might attempt to assassinate any representatives sent to Erbil.
Backchannel reportedly closed
The alleged backchannel appears to have fizzled over the past two months. Gabbard resigned as DNI at the end of June to help her husband battle a rare form of cancer. Meanwhile, all formal negotiations between Washington and Tehran collapsed after the Iranians attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz, which they say was in response to U.S. violations of a June memorandum of understanding.
As of Monday, Iranian officials say their only ongoing talks are with Oman regarding control of the Strait of Hormuz and the collection of fees from ships passing through it. President Donald Trump has threatened to use force against Oman if it agrees to any arrangement with Iran over the strait, preferring to let pressure from the U.S. blockade build against Tehran.
Barzani’s office confirms some details
While Tehran denies the report, a spokesperson for Barzani largely confirmed the Axios story to Iran International on Sunday. The spokesperson noted Iraqi Kurdistan’s history of promoting dialogue to resolve regional disputes, and pointed to Barzani’s personal connections with IRGC leaders, which date back to his political science studies at the University of Tehran in the 1980s.
“The Kurdistan Region of Iraq, before the war, during the war, and afterward, has consistently emphasized that dialogue and negotiations are the only way to resolve existing disputes and tensions,” the spokesperson said.
A separate source within the Kurdistan Regional Government told Iran International that Barzani “had been asked to play the role because of his good relations with both the United States and Iran.”
Potential restart efforts
One of Axios’s sources said Barzani told the White House he could use his IRGC connections to restart negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, should the opportunity arise. That effort would likely face significant hurdles given the collapse of talks and the deep distrust between Washington and Tehran.
Iran’s denial underscores the ongoing volatility in U.S.-Iran relations and the complex role of regional intermediaries like Barzani, even as diplomatic channels remain all but shut.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2026/08/17/iran-denies-report-of-backchannel-negotiations-with-u-s/