U.S. diplomats around the world on Tuesday were told by Washington not to post or retweet a statement by now-former Undersecretary of State Steven Goldstein that apparently contradicted the White House's account of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Rex Wayne TillersonGary Cohn: 'I haven't made up my mind' on vote for president in November Kushner says 'Alice in Wonderland' describes Trump presidency: Woodward book Conspicuous by their absence from the Republican Convention MORE's firing.

Guidance sent to American diplomatic outposts also instructed officials to "freeze further amplification of content that features" Tillerson until he spoke publicly later that day, CNN reported.

The guidance came shortly after President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Trump dismisses climate change role in fires, says Newsom needs to manage forest better Jimmy Kimmel hits Trump for rallies while hosting Emmy Awards MORE abruptly announced in a tweet that he had fired Tillerson and tapped CIA Director Mike Pompeo Michael (Mike) Richard PompeoUS reimposes UN sanctions on Iran amid increasing tensions Sunday shows preview: Justice Ginsburg dies, sparking partisan battle over vacancy before election Trump steps up Iran fight in final election stretch MORE to replace him at the State Department.

ADVERTISEMENT

Goldstein was also fired Tuesday after he issued a statement saying that Tillerson was unaware of the reason for his firing and had not spoken to the president about the matter.

That statement apparently contradicted the official account of the White House, which had claimed that Tillerson had been aware that the announcement was coming.

The guidance instructing U.S. diplomats to avoid quoting a statement from an undersecretary was highly unusual, multiple diplomats told CNN.

An official had already begun translating Goldstein's statement into different languages for U.S. Embassies, but ultimately stopped amid the confusion, the network reported.