TEHRAN – Spokesman for Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Keyvan Khosravi has rejected a report which claimed that Tehran had received a message from U.S. President Donald Trump through Oman.

“Iran has received no letter from the U.S.,” Khosravi said on Friday, Mehr reported.

The remarks by the SNSC official came after the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) early on Thursday shot down a U.S. surveillance drone for violating Iran’s airspace. 

Reuters claimed on Friday that Tehran had received a message from U.S. President Donald Trump through Oman overnight warning that a U.S. attack on Iran was imminent. 

“In his message, Trump said he was against any war with Iran and wanted to talk to Tehran about various issues ... he gave a short period of time to get our response but Iran’s immediate response was that it is up to Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei to decide about this issue,” an Iranian official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Reuters also quoted another official as saying: “We made it clear that the leader is against any talks, but the message will be conveyed to him to make a decision ... However, we told the Omani official that any attack against Iran will have regional and international consequences.”

Tensions between the United States and Iran have been escalating since Washington pulled out of the nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed sanctions on Tehran. 

Tensions rose further after Washington accused Tehran of a recent attack on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, a charge vehemently denied by Iran.

MH/PA