Trump Reported Conducting Guerrilla Diplomacy Through Mediators to Persuade Iran to End War
TEHRAN — US President Donald Trump is reportedly conducting back-channel diplomacy aimed at ending the escalating conflict. Senior Iranian political officials revealed to Al Mayadeen on Monday (9 March 2026) that the White House has been continuously attempting to establish communication with Tehran through various intermediaries in order to end the increasingly uncontrollable war.
Rather than receiving a warm reception, Trump’s efforts have instead hit a brick wall. Tehran has formally instructed mediators to refuse to accept, let alone respond to, any initiatives from Washington. “Trump is confronting himself through the messages he sends to us,” said the official, pointing to sharp contradictions between private peace pledges and Trump’s public statements insisting on continuing the war.
For Iran, the conflicting signals from Washington represent more than mere negotiating tactics, but rather reflect “chaos and deep crisis” within the Trump administration. The official characterised the US President’s position as being stuck in a deadly quagmire with no clear way out.
“Trump is in serious trouble. He is trapped in a quagmire of his own making,” the official added. This tension has been further exacerbated by Tehran’s loss of confidence in Washington’s credibility as a dialogue partner, particularly as US-Israeli airstrikes continue to bombard Iranian infrastructure.
Iran’s position has now shifted from mere defence to an absolute strategic objective. Tehran has affirmed it will not respond to any diplomatic initiatives whilst the “Zionist entity” (Israel) has not withdrawn and undergone complete collapse as a consequence of their crimes in the region.
This hardline stance links the end of the war directly to Israel’s future existence in the Middle East. “Iran maintains a firm and resolute position with a strategic objective: it will not respond to any initiatives until the Zionist entity withdraws and collapses entirely,” the official stated emphatically to Al Mayadeen.