White House calls Iranian report on Hormuz, MOU 'complete fabrication'
Iranian state TV says the US would agree to pull military forces away from Iran's borders in exchange for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, but the White House called it a "complete fabrication."
WASHINGTON — The White House on Wednesday denied a report by Iran's state-run television broadcaster that claimed a draft memorandum between Washington and Tehran would see Iran open the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the US lifting its naval blockade on Iranian ports and pulling back military forces from near Iran's borders.
An official White House X account called the report "not true" and said the memorandum published in the report was a "complete fabrication."
The report by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting said that under the agreement, commercial traffic would resume via Hormuz in as little as a month, and the status of US military forces in the broader region would require follow-on discussion between the two sides. It made no mention of Iran's nuclear program or the highly enriched uranium stockpiles remaining in the country, which Trump administration officials have said is central to any agreement.
"Nobody should believe what Iranian state media is putting out," said the White House's post in response to the IRIB report.
President Donald Trump is set to convene with his cabinet on Wednesday.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that resolving details over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz could take a few more days. Iran has insisted on charging tolls to commercial ships seeking to transit through the strait while attacking ships that don't pay.
The White House has publicly rejected Iran's control of the strait. Trump administration officials have said the US military has options to forcibly reopen the strait if a diplomatic agreement fails to do so.
