The White House has rejected a report alleging that 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.
The allegation was published by Drop Site News, which cited a senior Iranian official familiar with the negotiations. According to the report, the message was allegedly delivered through an intermediary during US-Iran talks held in Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, in late June.
Report alleges Iran sought removal of negotiators
According to the report, Iranian officials urged Vance to remove Witkoff and Kushner from the negotiating process, claiming their involvement was harming efforts to reach a lasting agreement between Washington and Tehran.
The unnamed Iranian official alleged that the two men were using insider knowledge of diplomatic developments for personal financial benefit and that their actions were undermining the negotiations.
The report also claimed Iran raised concerns about alleged leaks of sensitive information to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and submitted documents through mediators that it said indicated individuals close to President Trump were attempting to influence financial markets.
According to the publication, Tehran had previously conveyed similar concerns through Pakistani intermediaries before the latest round of negotiations.
White House categorically rejects allegations
The Trump administration strongly denied the report.
A US official said no such message had been delivered to Vice President Vance 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 allegations that members of the US negotiating team had acted for personal financial gain, describing the claims as entirely false.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly also dismissed the report, saying no such communication had reached the US government. She criticized Drop Site News and accused the outlet of promoting Iranian narratives.
Neither Steve Witkoff nor Jared Kushner had publicly commented on the allegations at the time of publication.
Claims remain unverified
Drop Site News acknowledged that it could not independently verify whether the intermediary actually delivered the alleged message to Vice President Vance.
The publication reported that a source close to the vice president said Iranian officials had openly objected to Witkoff’s and Kushner’s involvement in the negotiations.
However, no independent evidence has been made public to support Iran’s allegations, and the White House continues to deny that any such warning was received.
Diplomatic uncertainty continues
The report comes amid ongoing efforts to revive dialogue between the United States and Iran following months of heightened regional tensions and intermittent diplomatic engagement.
While negotiations have continued through various intermediaries, both Washington and Tehran have repeatedly exchanged accusations over the conduct of the talks, highlighting the challenges facing any effort to achieve a broader agreement.
With the latest allegations disputed by US officials and lacking independent verification, the claims remain unconfirmed.
