Tehran, Aug 2026 : Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has rejected US President Donald Trump's claim that a secret backchannel exists between Washington and the elite Iranian military force for discussions aimed at resolving tensions between the two countries.
IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi, speaking to the semi-official Tasnim news agency on Monday, described Trump's assertion as a “delusion” and said there was no dialogue taking place between IRGC officials and American representatives.
Mohebbi further said Iran's diplomatic apparatus was not currently engaged in negotiations with the United States, attributing the absence of talks to what he described as Washington's “breach of promises.” His remarks came amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington over Iran's nuclear programme and the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Separately, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei dismissed reports of unofficial contacts between the United States and the IRGC through officials in Iraq's Kurdistan region. He also denied reports of an alleged secret meeting between Iranian and American representatives in Erbil.
Baghaei described the reports as “media techniques and psychological operations” aimed at creating divisions within Iran's decision-making establishment. He did not provide further details about the alleged reports or identify their sources.
The Iranian statements came after Fox News reported that Trump had confirmed the existence of a backchannel for peace talks between Washington and the IRGC. Trump's reported remarks suggested that communication channels may exist despite the absence of publicly acknowledged negotiations.
The US President has simultaneously adopted a tough stance towards Tehran. With a 60-day ceasefire understanding nearing its end, Trump urged Iran to raise the “white flag of surrender” while indicating that he was not in a hurry to establish a deadline for further developments.
“I have no time schedule. I'm not in a hurry,” Trump was quoted as saying during a telephone interview with Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst.
Trump also said US naval pressure on Iran would continue and issued a warning concerning Oman's parallel engagement with Tehran over the future of the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway is a crucial international shipping route and a major corridor for global energy supplies.
According to Yingst, Trump was particularly forceful when discussing reported talks between Iran and Oman over control of the strategic waterway. Trump reportedly warned that Washington could take military action if Oman interfered with US objectives.
Trump also characterised Iranian officials as skilled “poker players” but claimed that Iran was “dying”, according to the Fox News account.
The contrasting statements from Washington and Tehran highlight the continuing uncertainty surrounding any potential diplomatic engagement. While Trump has suggested that indirect communication with Iranian officials may be underway, both the IRGC and Iran's Foreign Ministry have publicly denied that such a channel exists.
The developments come at a sensitive moment in US-Iran relations, with nuclear issues, military pressure and the future of the Strait of Hormuz remaining major points of contention between the two countries.
(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
