# US-Iran diplomatic and military tensions > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/us-iran-diplomatic-and-military-tensions > Updated: 2026-08-17T12:25:35.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2. President Donald Trump announced that the United States is using a secret communication channel with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to discuss a potential ceasefire and peace agreement. While the administration continues to focus on nuclear non-proliferation, Vice President JD Vance indicated that ensuring stable global oil and gas supplies is now a primary objective. Following these claims, the IRGC denied the existence of any back-channel negotiations, with spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi dismissing the reports as ‘illusions and nightmares resulting from defeat and helplessness in war.’ The Iranian Foreign Ministry also rejected reports of unofficial contact through Iraqi Kurdistan, characterizing them as psychological operations. In response to the diplomatic friction, Iranian officials stated that Tehran is prepared to shift from a defensive to a ‘completely offensive’ strategic policy, including potential escalations in the Strait of Hormuz, should diplomatic efforts fail. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-17: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps denies Trump's claims of secret communications The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has denied US President Donald Trump's claims of a secret back-channel communication line, calling the assertions false and warning of potential regional escalation. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/trump-claims-secret-contact-with-irans-revolutionary-guard ### 2026-08-16: Trump reveals secret communication channel with Iran's IRGC President Trump revealed secret channels with the IRGC to discuss a ceasefire with Iran, as U.S. strategic goals appear to shift toward energy security and nuclear non-proliferation amid Iranian economic strain 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/trump-reveals-secret-communication-channel-with-irans-irgc --- Cite as: US-Iran diplomatic and military tensions. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/us-iran-diplomatic-and-military-tensions