White House Calls Iranian State Media's Draft Agreement Report a 'Complete Fabrication'
Washington's blunt denial came within hours of Iranian outlets publishing what they described as an unsigned memorandum of understanding
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The Official White House Rapid Response account on Wednesday delivered a sharp and unequivocal rejection of reports circulated by Iranian state media claiming the existence of a draft memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran, calling the document a fabrication and warning the public not to trust what Iranian outlets are publishing.
In a post on X, the White House stated: "This report from Iranian controlled media is not true and the MOU they 'released' is a complete fabrication. Nobody should believe what Iranian state media is putting out. FACTS MATTER."
The denial came in direct response to reports broadcast by Iran's official television, which had alleged that an informal draft agreement existed between the two governments. According to those reports, Washington had consented to lifting naval sanctions and withdrawing its forces from the region in exchange for Iran keeping the Strait of Hormuz open.
The White House's response was issued the same day, Wednesday, and made no concession to any element of the Iranian reporting.
The exchange unfolded against the backdrop of continuing indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington aimed at ending the regional war that began on Feb. 28 and has since spread across the Middle East.
Earlier on Wednesday, Iran's intelligence ministry accused the United States and Israel of pursuing efforts to overthrow the Islamic Republic and partition the country, despite those same ongoing talks. In a statement carried by Iranian state media, the ministry claimed that having failed to achieve their objectives through military force, Washington and Israel were now seeking to destabilize Iran through economic pressure, the cultivation of ethnic and religious divisions, and sabotage operations inside the country.
The ministry also alleged that such efforts could include the smuggling of weapons, ammunition, and satellite communications equipment, including Starlink devices, into Iranian territory.
Iran and Israel have for decades maintained a covert conflict spanning cyberattacks, assassinations, and sabotage, including operations targeting Iran's nuclear facilities and scientists. That shadow war escalated sharply into a 12-day direct military confrontation, the first sustained exchange of its kind between the two adversaries after years of indirect hostilities.
Iran does not recognize Israel and has maintained no diplomatic relations with the United States since 1980, when ties were severed following the Iranian Revolution and the hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran.
Wednesday's dueling statements, Washington's flat denial and Tehran's sweeping accusations, offered a sharp illustration of the mistrust that continues to shadow any path toward a negotiated end to the conflict.