Iran Sought Backchannel Ceasefire Talks With CIA As US-Israel Began Striking: Report

Last Updated:March 04, 2026, 20:44 IST

The outreach came despite Iranian leaders publicly rejecting negotiations with the Trump administration.

Iran reportedly reached out to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to explore a backchannel ceasefire, just a day after US and Israeli forces began striking the country, according to a report by The New York Times.

The outreach came despite Iranian leaders publicly rejecting negotiations with the Trump administration. Operatives from Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence reportedly made the contact indirectly, using a third country’s spy agency to convey an offer to discuss terms for ending the conflict, the report said, citing officials from West Asian countries and a Western nation.

In public, Iran’s surviving leadership has maintained a defiant stance, refusing to negotiate with the United States. However, the anonymous officials briefed on the outreach told The New York Times that the backchannel contact was aimed at exploring a potential ceasefire, highlighting an underlying willingness among some Iranian operatives to engage discreetly.

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“Still, the offer, which was made through another country’s spy agency, raises critical questions about whether any Iranian officials could put into place a cease-fire agreement with the Tehran government in chaos as its leaders are methodically picked off by Israeli strikes," the report stated.

US officials remain sceptical that either side is genuinely prepared to agree to an immediate resolution, at least in the short term, given the ongoing military campaign.

The strikes, which began on February 28, have reportedly allowed US and Israeli forces to control large swathes of Iranian airspace while hitting multiple strategic targets across major cities. The escalation has forced Washington to close embassies and evacuate US citizens from the region.

The report also notes that the offer raises questions about whether any Iranian officials could effectively implement a ceasefire given the turmoil within the Tehran government, as Israeli strikes continue to target key figures.

US President Donald Trump later dismissed the possibility of talks, stating on social media that it was “too late" for negotiations, and expressed concern that many Iranian officials who could have facilitated dialogue were now dead.

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