Associated Press/Evan Vucci The United States used Swiss intermediaries to urge Iran not to retaliate so strongly that it would provoke President Donald Trump, The New York Times reported Saturday. The Swiss embassy in Tehran has long been used by the US government as a backchannel to communicate with the Iranians, according to The Wall Street Journal. After receiving the message from the US, Iran responded by striking military bases housing US forces, though leaving no American casualties, and sending a message saying there would be no further retaliation for now. The Times reported that that message ultimately convinced Trump to stand down. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. United States officials used a secret backchannel to communicate with Iran in recent days, sending messages via Swiss intermediaries warning Iran not to retaliate so harshly that it would further provoke President Donald Trump, The New York Times reported Saturday. The messages came not long after the Trump administration authorized strikes that killed the top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, immediately escalating tensions between the US and Iran.See the rest of the story at Business InsiderNOW WATCH: A law professor weighs in on how Trump could beat impeachmentSee Also:Trump doesn't want to go to war, he just wants to look tough, even if it puts US troops in danger Pompeo posts year-in-review Instagram photo with Soleimani, Baghdadi, his dog, and family just moments before announcing new sanctions against Iran Trump tried to calm Iran tensions, then a day later bragged about killing Soleimani to cheering supporters at a rally