President Donald Trump has made "a lot of great play calls" on Iran since taking office, but it would be a mistake for him to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and give the appearance that Iran and the United States are equals, Rep. Lee Zeldin said Tuesday.
"Pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal was the right move, [as was] pushing back on Iranian aggression in Iraq and Syria and working with allies in that region, forming a coalition to push back against Iranian aggression," said the New York Republican. "I would love the opportunity to talk to the president why I believe it isn't the right decision to sit down with Rouhani at this time."
Zeldin said he thinks Rouhani would use the meeting to push violent Iranian rhetoric at the United States.
"I could see Rouhani, as he is walking into the meeting talking about how Israel is a little Satan, America the great Satan, chanting 'death to America,'" said Zeldin. "The guy has blood all over his hands as far as dead U.S.service members and this Iranian leadership, this regime, I don't want us to prop up and I don't want the imagery in any way, shape or form looking like our nations are equal."
Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism, he continued, and there should be basics in order to earn the ability to sit with Trump.
"Iran is desperate for keeping the Iran nuclear deal," said Zeldin. "They need sanctions relief. If they need the meeting, I don't want to see them in any way trying to embarrass our president and country. What I'm concerned about is protecting our president and our country, and not trusting these Iranians in particular that are in charge of their nation."
Trump also could go harder on Iran than he already is, said Zeldin.
"The fact is, the military option is on the table and real, but it is the last possible option and not the one we want," said Zeldin. We want to see effective multilateral diplomacy. We want to see ramping up economic pressure. The information campaign. There are millions of Iranians that want a different direction for their nation."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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