Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif met several years ago with several current Biden administration officials to “undermine” former President Trump’s dealings with the country, according to a report.
One of the meetings between Zarif and Robert Malley, now the special envoy for Iran policy, took place in 2019 after Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal in the Obama era, The Washington Times reported Sunday.
Former Secretary of State John Kerry also met with Zarif in the first few years of Trump’s presidency – which he publicly acknowledged. And so does the energy secretary of the Obama era, Ernest Moniz, reads the report.
While exact details of what was discussed during the meetings were not clear, a former senior U.S. official told the newspaper that Zarif’s goal was “to devise a political strategy to undermine the Trump administration.”
The source added that Zarif wants to regain support for the Iran nuclear deal – or a similar deal – if the next US president is a Democrat.
Malley, Kerry and Moniz helped negotiate the Iran nuclear deal in 2015, which restricted the country’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018 and imposed economic sanctions on Tehran.
Sources told The Times that in his meeting with Zarif, Malley likely encouraged Iranian officials to sit tight until 2021, when a Democratic government is expected to be able to restore the agreement.
Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said last week that the US was prepared to renegotiate with Iran on both countries rejoining the agreement.