President Donald Trump on Monday said he had spoken with a former U.S. president who praised his handling of Iran and expressed regret over not taking similar military action while in office. The claim was quickly met with denials from all four living former presidents’ offices, which said no such conversation took place.

Speaking at a White House press event, Trump said a predecessor told him, “I wish I did what you did,” referring to U.S. military actions related to Iran. When asked to identify the former president, Trump said it was not George W. Bush but declined to specify whether it was Bill Clinton or another former president.

Later in the day at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Trump repeated the claim and again refused to name the individual, saying he did not want to “embarrass him.”

Representatives for former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden all denied that any such conversation had taken place.

Trump did not provide evidence or further details to support his account.

The comments come amid heightened U.S. military activity related to Iran and ongoing debate over the administration’s approach to the region. The White House has defended its policy as necessary to counter nuclear and regional security threats, while critics have warned it risks escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Some foreign policy analysts have pointed to past U.S. conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan as cautionary comparisons, though the administration has rejected such parallels and said any action regarding Iran would remain limited in scope.

In a related development, Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned Tuesday, saying he “could not in good conscience” support the administration’s Iran policy, which he said did not reflect an imminent threat assessment. The White House has rejected Kent’s characterization of the situation.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the former presidents’ denials.