John Kerry acknowledged in an interview yesterday that he has had meetings with Mohammad Javad Zarif over the past two years.
Kerry said that his purpose in these meetings was not to advise Mohammad Javad Zarif on how to counter American policies, but rather he attempted to understand how issues could be resolved with Iran.
John Kerry said on Wednesday in a radio interview with Hugh Hewitt, host of the “Salem” radio network, that he met with Mohammad Javad Zarif three or four times in various conferences and meetings during Donald Trump’s presidency and attempted to understand through his conversations what Iran is willing to do to create positive changes in the Middle East, including Yemen and Syria.
Meanwhile, a senior U.S. State Department official also said on Thursday that John Kerry should not undermine the Donald Trump administration’s strategy towards Iran.
Manisha Singh, Deputy Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, said: I do not have personal information regarding these meetings, but if such meetings have taken place, he has taken an improper action.
Donald Trump on May 8 announced his decision regarding America’s withdrawal from the nuclear agreement between six world powers and Iran, known as the JCPOA, and said that U.S. sanctions against Iran would be reinstated. The first round of sanctions, which included industrial and financial sectors, was implemented in mid-August, and the second round of sanctions, which targets Iran’s oil exports, is set to be implemented from November 4.
The U.S. President says the goal of the new strategy towards Iran is to reach a more comprehensive agreement with Iran, one that would include the future of Iran’s nuclear program, Iran’s ballistic missile program, and Iran’s regional activities.
However, since withdrawing from the JCPOA, Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that he is willing to negotiate with Iran without preconditions to achieve a “real deal,” a proposal that has been rejected by Iran so far.
