Trump confirms IRGC backchannel, threatens to 'bomb the s***' out of Oman if it 'gets in the way'
Regarding US munitions used against Iran, Trump said that what has been used so far against Iran "is peanuts."
US President Donald Trump has revealed the existence of a backchannel with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials, despite the expiry of the 60-day period in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Axios reported that Kurdistan Regional Government President Nechirvan Barzani was the secret intermediary, citing three sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations.
Barzani, who lived in Iran during the Iraq-Iran War, studied at the University of Tehran, speaks Farsi fluently, and has personal connections with several IRGC members, was reportedly chosen for the role. Trump asserted that Iran should raise the white flag of surrender and emphasized that he has no specific timeline or urgency to reach an agreement.
He also criticized Iran's poker-playing abilities, claiming they are "dying." Furthermore, Trump warned that if Oman interferes with US control in the Strait of Hormuz, the US will "bomb the s*** out of them." In terms of US munitions used against Iran, Trump stated that the current arsenal against Iran is "peanuts," but acknowledged that advanced weapons, including air-defense systems, were transferred to Ukraine by former US President Joe Biden.
Additionally, Trump revealed that the US maintains a separate channel of communication with Hamas and has been discussing the potential demilitarization of the Gaza Strip. He also suggested that Israel should refrain from striking in Gaza, given Hamas's agreement to ultimately relinquish its weapons. Trump's remarks come as Jared Kushner, Board of Peace head Nikolay Mladenov, and Tony Blair met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials to exert pressure on Israel to progress to the next stage of the US plan for Gaza.
When queried about Israel's upcoming elections in October, Trump stated that while he believes it's more appropriate for him to remain neutral, he may consider endorsing a candidate.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
