Secret Backchannel: White House and Tehran Exchange First Messages Since War Began

A direct communication channel between White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has recently been reactivated, marking the first known contact between the two sides since the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran began more than two weeks ago.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Araghchi sent several text messages to Witkoff in recent days that focused on ending the war. It remains unclear how substantive the messages were or how many were exchanged.

One US official said Araghchi initiated the contact but emphasized that Washington does not consider the exchanges to be formal negotiations.

The renewed communication comes amid growing uncertainty over who currently holds decision making authority in Tehran following a series of Israeli and American strikes that have killed senior Iranian leaders.

President Donald Trump said Monday that individuals connected to Iran had reached out to the United States, though he expressed skepticism about whether they had the authority to negotiate.

“They want to make a deal. They’re talking to our people,” Trump told reporters. “There are people there who want to negotiate, but we have no idea who they are.”

Trump added that the leadership situation inside Iran remains unclear after many senior figures were killed during the opening phase of the war. He also noted that Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not appeared publicly and may even be dead.

Despite the uncertainty, Trump said he was not opposed to talks with Iran.

“The president is always open to a deal,” a US official said, adding that any agreement would need to ensure the original goals of the war were met. The official also rejected an Iranian demand for financial compensation as part of a potential settlement.

Iranian officials have publicly denied that negotiations are underway.

Araghchi himself rejected reports of recent communication, writing on social media that his last contact with Witkoff occurred before the United States launched its military campaign against Iran.

“Any claim otherwise appears intended only to mislead oil traders and the public,” he said.

American officials disputed that statement, with one responding bluntly that Araghchi was “lying.”

Although Araghchi was not previously viewed as a central decision maker in Iran’s leadership, US officials see him as one of the few remaining senior figures with whom they already have established lines of communication.