When Iran fired missiles into Iraq, killing an American, President Donald Trump swiftly retaliated — bigly.
He responded with force, taking out the world’s No. 1 terrorist, Qassem Soleimani, an Iranian major general and commander of the Quds Force, who was responsible for the death and maiming of hundreds of American soldiers.
Then he warned Iran, taking to Twitter to issue a very public threat.
“Let this serve as a WARNING that if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets,” the president tweeted last Saturday. “We have targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!”
But behind the scenes, something very different was happening.
“Hours after a U.S. strike killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the Trump administration sent an urgent back channel message to Tehran: Don’t escalate,” the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.
“The encrypted fax was sent via the Swiss Embassy in Iran, one of the few means of direct, confidential communication between the two sides. In the days that followed, the White House and Iranian leaders exchanged further messages, which officials in both countries described as far more measured than the fiery rhetoric traded publicly by politicians,” The Journal wrote.
The paper quoted a top Trump official saying, “We don’t communicate with the Iranians that much, but when we do the Swiss have played a critical role to convey messages and avoid miscalculation.”
Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin also said on Friday that the U.S. was using Switzerland as a mediator to coordinate humanitarian aid to Iran.
A spokesman at Iran’s mission to the United Nation would not comment on the back-channel messages from Trump, but said the Swiss have helped..
‘We appreciate [the Swiss] for any efforts they make to provide an efficient channel to exchange letters when and if necessary,’ the spokesman said.
The Journal said another Iranian official said the back-channel was successful in opening a line of communication between the two longtime foes.
“In the desert, even a drop of water matters,” they said.
The Daily Mail gave more details.
Swiss Ambassador Markus Leitner hand delivered America’s message to Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Friday morning to an angry response.
Zarif was reportedly upset with the message and at one point singled out U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, an official familiar with the exchange said.
‘Pompeo is a bully. The U.S. is the cause of all the problems,’ Zarif said.
Leitner, a 53-year-old career diplomat, is said to regularly visit Washington for meetings with the Pentagon, State Department and intelligence officials set on gaining knowledge about Iran’s politics.
Following the airstrike, Leitner shuffled back and forth between the countries in a vital diplomatic mission meant to let each side speak openly.
The Mail also reported that a senior Trump administration official said: “When tensions with Iran were high, the Swiss played a useful and reliable role that both sides appreciated. Their system is like a light that never turns off.”