According to Khabaronline, an Iranian news agency, The statement was released in response to Channel 14’s report, which alleged that during Iran’s recent protests, Mohammad Javad Zarif had contacted Reza Pahlavi several times and had informed Hassan Rouhani of these contacts. The network further claimed that both former officials had been arrested following these developments.
A few days earlier, similar remarks had been made by Abolghasem Jarareh, a member of Iran’s Parliament, during an overseas online program, which drew media attention.
In its statement, Zarif’s office described the claims about the arrest of the two former officials as “false” and without any basis in reality. It emphasized that the spread of such unverified reports could lead to the formation of misleading narratives in the media.
Some Iranian domestic media outlets also reported, citing their own follow-ups, that rumors about the arrest or being “under control” of Hassan Rouhani and Mohammad Javad Zarif were untrue. These outlets noted that none of the country’s official institutions had confirmed such claims.
Additionally, Kambiz Mahdizadeh, a close relative of Hassan Rouhani, publicly rejected the allegations, warning about the consequences of spreading unverified news in matters related to national security.