The Obama administration was quick to express condolences for the hundreds of lives lost in earthquakes last weekend in northwestern Iran, but initially refused blanket approval for humanitarian assistance that could help save the lives of thousands of survivors.
The White House, after initially declining comment, denied this and said it was still "considering options" to assist Iranians.
“There is no truth to this account," Caitlin Hayden, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, told Al-Monitor in an email Tuesday night. "The White House has not vetoed any such license proposals and we are in fact actively considering options while waiting for the Iranian government to decide whether it would like to request assistance for its people. The US Government is continuing to work to determine how we can best help support the Iranian people in this difficult time.”