Trump’s Backchannel Failed After Ayatollah Went Dark

“President Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğa quietly sought to arrange a meeting between senior U.S. and Iranian officials in Istanbul this week amid Israel’s escalating war with Iran,” Axios reports.

“But the effort collapsed when Iran’s supreme leader — in hiding due to fears of assassination — couldn’t be reached to approve it.”

“New details of this backchannel effort reveal the extent to which Trump was pushing for a direct meeting with the Iranians — even offering to attend himself, if necessary — in hopes of striking a nuclear deal and avoiding U.S. military intervention.”