Zarif: I consider the field and diplomacy complementary; I don't know how the tape ended up on the other side of the water

In response to the release of a controversial audio file released on Wednesday morning, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke of his "deep friendship" and "heartfelt relationship" with Qassem Soleimani, describing the content of the file as merely a "theoretical discussion."

In a text he posted on Instagram on Wednesday, May 28, Mr. Zarif said that his remarks about diplomacy and the field were a "theoretical discussion about the relationship between the two wings of the Islamic Republic of Iran's foreign power," but it has been reduced to "an excuse for dichotomies between proud military men and zealous diplomats."

The publication of the Iranian Foreign Minister's interview with a journalist close to Hassan Rouhani's government in media outlets abroad has had a wide impact on Iranian politics, with a number of members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly calling for action against Mr. Zarif.

In this interview, Mohammad Javad Zarif raises unprecedented criticism of the military's dominance over Iran's foreign policy, saying that some of these policies, including those related to Syria, were the result of "Russian will."

According to him, the Iranian government prefers "the field," that is, the field of activity of the Revolutionary Guards, over "diplomacy," and goes on to accuse Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the regime's "field," of harming the diplomacy of the Rouhani government.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry called the conversation, which was conducted under the supervision of the "Presidential Center for Strategic Studies," "confidential," and the government spokesman also claimed that the audio file of the conversation was "stolen" and that the Ministry of Intelligence is following up on the incident.

In his response on Instagram, Mr. Zarif noted that he did not know how the file "ended up on the other side of the water," continuing that he "considers the field and diplomacy to be complementary and complementary."

He wrote: “Reducing the theoretical discussion about the relationship between the two wings of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s external power, namely diplomacy and the field, as an excuse for dichotomous dichotomy between proud military men and zealous diplomats… is short-sighted.”

He continued: “I was deeply saddened by how a confidential theoretical debate about the need to synergize diplomacy and the field – in order for future statesmen to benefit from the precious experiences of the past 8 years – turned into an internal conflict, and an honest and compassionate pathology of some trends was presented as personal criticism.”

In another part of his writing, he tries to emphasize his loyalty to Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force, who was killed by American forces in Iraq during Donald Trump's presidency.

Mr. Zarif says: "The honor of deep friendship and cooperation with Hajj Qassem has lasted for more than two decades, and our heartfelt and working relationship not only did not fade until his martyrdom, but it constantly deepened."

On Tuesday, the Tehran Prosecutor's Office announced the opening of a legal case regarding Zarif's audio file, and the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Islamic Consultative Assembly also summoned Mr. Zarif.

On Tuesday, May 27, Fars News Agency published a statement from the Tehran Prosecutor's Office, which said, "The main charge in this case is providing the country's classified information to unauthorized persons."

The release of this file has so far received widespread coverage, with some members of parliament and media outlets close to the Revolutionary Guards describing the release of this file as "betrayal" and calling Zarif's remarks about Soleimani "insulting and insulting," and calling for the intervention of the Supreme National Security Council and the judiciary to deal with Mr. Zarif.

Source: Radio Farda