Iran privately warned US Vice President JD Vance that President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner were undermining US-Iran negotiations by pursuing personal financial interests, according to a report by Drop Site News. The Trump administration has categorically denied the allegation.
Citing a senior Iranian official, the report said the message was delivered through an intermediary during US-Iran negotiations held in Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, in late June.
According to the report, Tehran urged Vance to remove Witkoff and Kushner from the negotiations, alleging they were exploiting insider knowledge of diplomatic developments for financial gain and damaging the prospects of a lasting agreement.
The Iranian official also claimed Tehran had raised concerns about alleged information leaks to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and submitted documentation through mediators that it said showed individuals close to President Trump were attempting to manipulate financial markets.
The official told the publication that Iran had previously communicated similar concerns to the Trump administration through Pakistani intermediaries before the negotiations began.
White House rejects claim
Responding to the report, a US official denied that any such message had been received by the vice president or his staff.
"A message of this nature was never conveyed to the Vice President or his team," the official said.
The official also rejected suggestions that members of Trump's negotiating team had acted for personal gain, describing the allegations as false.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly also dismissed the report, saying no such communication had been transmitted to the United States.
She criticised Drop Site News, accusing the publication of promoting Iranian narratives.
Neither Kushner nor Witkoff publicly responded to the allegations.
Claims remain unverified
Drop Site News reported that it was unable to independently verify whether the intermediary actually delivered the alleged message to Vance.
The report added that a source close to the vice president said Iranian officials had openly expressed objections to Witkoff and Kushner's involvement in the negotiations.
No independent evidence has been made public to substantiate Iran's allegations.
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