Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps denied on Monday that any unofficial communication channels exist between the elite military unit and the United States, contradicting claims made by US President Donald Trump.
IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebi said that "no negotiations are currently taking place between IRGC representatives and Americans," according to the Tasnim news agency. Mohebi characterized Trump's statements as false, saying "Trump is lying; it's pure fantasy - driven by illusions and nightmares stemming from defeat in the war and despair."
Trump had asserted in a telephone interview with Fox News that Washington maintains contact with the IRGC through unofficial channels separate from Iranian government officials and mediators. The US president confirmed that negotiations were taking place with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps outside formal government channels.
The denial comes on the same day that a 60-day deadline expires from a peace memorandum signed between Tehran and Washington on June 17. Trump told Fox News that the Iranian leadership "should raise the white flag of surrender" and described Iranian negotiators as "good poker players, but they are dying."
The exchange marks a sharp disagreement between the two sides over the status and nature of any diplomatic contacts. While Trump claimed active communication through back channels, Iran's military leadership flatly rejected the existence of such channels and dismissed the US president's characterization of ongoing talks.
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