Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was convinced that the 2015 nuclear accord was so favorable for his country, he reportedly joked about kidnapping one of President Barack Obama’s daughters to make certain the deal was implemented.
The Washington Beacon said Zarif praised the nuclear deal in a controversial leaked audio tape. The audio tape was first reported by Iran International and was independently translated for the Free Beacon.
On the tape Zarif, touting the accord, reportedly says Iran “scored six goals against the opponent” when his nation was down by a score of 6 to 0. According to the Free Beacon, Zarif also recalls “jokingly” suggesting that he kidnap one of Obama’s daughters and transport her to Iran as a way to make sure the U.S. signed the deal.
The comments on the tape were made in March and intended to remain private until Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s regime leaves office later this year, according to the Free Beacon.
On the tape, Zarif offers a pessimistic assessment on the future of U.S.-Iran relations.
"I believe Iran and the U.S. will never be friends as long as the Islamic Republic preserves its identity," he reportedly says. “Never will our issues with America be resolved.”
Zarif says his nation cannot maintain stable relations with the U.S. while pushing for the destruction of Israel.
"The identity of the Islamic Republic, we don’t want to solve," Zarif says, according to the Free Beacon. "Recognizing the Zionist regime, we don’t want to solve.”
And he reportedly maintains he should not be blamed for the 2018 decision by then-President Donald Trump to extract the U.S. from the nuclear deal.
Meanwhile, calls are growing for President Joe Biden's climate czar John Kerry to be investigated and resign over accusations that he told Iran about Israeli military operations.
The outcry over Kerry comes after Zarif claimed in the leaked audiotape that Kerry revealed more than 200 operations that Israel had conducted against Iranian targets.
Kerry, who served as Secretary of State under Obama, has also reportedly met with Zarif as a private citizen after leaving office, which is raising concern about what he may have told him and other Iranian officials.
Morgan Ortagus, the spokesperson for the State Department under former President Donald Trump, told Fox News' "Fox and Friends" Tuesday that Zarif is Iran's "chief propagandist" and there are a "lot of problems" with Kerry's conversations with the key Iranian official.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said Kerry must resign if the accusations are true.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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