Trump Administration Reportedly Opened Backchannel to Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in Push for Deal

The Trump administration reportedly opened a secret backchannel to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to push for a deal, as U.S. officials questioned whether Tehran's formal negotiators had the authority to end the ongoing conflict. Iraqi Kurdish President Nechirvan Barzani reportedly served as the intermediary due to his strong relationships in both Washington and Tehran. This development comes as the U.S. Navy is shifting its last aircraft carrier from the western Pacific toward the Middle East, temporarily leaving the region without an American carrier due to the strain of the Iran conflict on Navy deployments.