Iran's central bank has rejected reports that delays in pension and benefit payments to Social Security Organisation (SSO) retirees were caused by withdrawals from the organisation's accounts at Bank Refah Kargaran on June 4.

The bank said the claim linking the unpaid pensions to any seizure of Social Security Organisation funds was entirely false, undocumented and detached from reality.

In its statement, the central bank said the Social Security Organisation had for years drawn on the credit facilities of Bank Refah Kargaran to meet its financing needs, citing liquidity problems and an imbalance between its resources and spending.

Repayment of the resulting loans and obligations had in many cases not been made on schedule, the bank said, adding that the matter had no connection to the payment of retirees' pensions.

The central bank said raising such issues without presenting an accurate picture of their full scope could create confusion among the public and affect public trust.

It called for responsibility in disseminating information and for greater cohesion among state bodies, urging the avoidance of material that could lead to mistaken interpretations and stressing the need for accurate and documented reporting in what it described as a sensitive period for the country.