Axios: Mediators shuttle messages between US and Iran with no breakthrough

Mediators are continuing to relay messages between the United States and Iran without achieving any tangible progress, according to Axios, which reported that Pakistan has been providing assessments that are more optimistic than the reality in order to create a sense of momentum that could help break the deadlock.

The website added that American negotiators—who had been seeking an agreement with Iran to end the war—faced a challenge in mid-May when they were unable to determine whether those sitting across the negotiating table were truly speaking on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The report continued that officials in the administration of former US President Donald Trump took an unconventional step by bypassing Iranian negotiators and reaching out directly to the leadership of the Revolutionary Guard. They selected Nechirvan Barzani, President of Iraq's Kurdistan Region, to handle this backchannel.

These actions highlight the complexity and difficulty of US negotiations with a country where Washington cannot be certain who actually holds decision-making power. Although the US and Iran did reach a memorandum of understanding, it quickly collapsed.

According to Axios, the main dilemma facing the Trump administration today—and in any future negotiations—is ensuring dialogue with parties who truly have the authority to make decisions. This also requires finding mediators trusted by both the White House and the Iranian regime.