Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has firmly denied claims made by US President Donald Trump that Washington was engaged in backchannel discussions with the Iranian military force, dismissing the assertion as a “delusion.” The IRGC’s spokesman said the accusation stemmed from what he characterized as American desperation and battlefield setbacks rather than any genuine diplomatic contact.
Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi, speaking to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, stated unequivocally that no discussions were underway between IRGC officials and their American counterparts. He suggested Trump’s comments were rooted in wishful thinking tied to what he described as Washington’s failures in the ongoing conflict. Mohebbi drew a clear distinction between the IRGC’s role and Iran’s broader diplomatic apparatus, noting that the Guard Corps operates on the battlefield while separate institutions within the Islamic Republic handle matters of diplomacy.
The denial extended beyond military channels. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, separately dismissed reports suggesting an unofficial meeting had taken place between US and Iranian representatives in Erbil, located in Iraq’s Kurdistan region. Baghaei characterized such reports as psychological tactics designed to sow discord within Iran’s governing institutions, rather than reflecting any factual basis.
Adding to the picture, Iranian officials indicated that, according to their Foreign Ministry, no negotiations of any kind were currently taking place between Tehran and Washington. They attributed this standstill to what Iran views as a pattern of the United States failing to honor prior commitments and agreements.
Mohebbi went further, characterizing Trump’s statements as detached from reality and warning that such rhetoric would offer no practical advantage to American forces. He argued that the only realistic path forward for Washington was to accept it had not achieved its objectives in the conflict and adjust its position accordingly, suggesting that prolonging the standoff would only lead to greater losses for the US.
The exchange underscores the deepening rhetorical divide between Washington and Tehran even as both sides claim the other is misrepresenting the state of their engagement.