Biden administration officials, including John Kerry and Robert Malley, had meetings with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif during the Trump administration organized to undermine President Biden’s predecessor, according to a recent report by The Washington Times.
Zarif has held meetings with Obama administration veterans who could return to power “to devise a political strategy to undermine the Trump administration” and to usher in a softer US-Iran diplomacy, according to a former U.S. senior official quoted by The Washington Times.
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According to the Washington Times, in 2017, 2018 and 2019, the official discussed face-to-face between Zarif and influential Democrats.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is attending a forum entitled “General Security in the Islamic World” in August in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
(AP)
Kerry is now Biden’s climate envoy, and Malley, who was part of the creation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) regarding Iran’s nuclear capabilities, is Biden’s Iran envoy.
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The Washington Times reported that while former President Donald Trump’s efforts to set up a back channel with Iranian officials were intended to defuse tensions, Democrats, like Malley, met with Zarif.
Kerry was open about the fact that he met with Zarif at least twice during the Trump administration, prompting Trump to say he should be prosecuted under the Logan Act because of the meetings.
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Meanwhile, Republicans are criticizing Biden’s decision to renounce a Trump era to reinstate United Nations sanctions against Iran as the government takes a warmer tone towards Tehran.
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Fox News’ query to the State Department was not immediately returned.
Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.