- Oct 20, 2013
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John Kerry, the U.S. special envoy for climate change, is facing calls for his resignation from Republican lawmakers and pundits, for reportedly discussing Israeli military operations with Iran’s foreign minister when he served as then-President Obama’s secretary of State.
The reports come from leaked tapes of a conversation in March between Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and an economist named Saeed Leylaz, an ally, was not meant for publication, as the foreign minister can repeatedly be heard saying on the audio. A copy was leaked to the London-based Persian news channel Iran International, which first reported on the recording and shared it with The New York Times. Kerry informed him that Israel had attacked Iranian interests in Syria at least 200 times, to his astonishment, Mr. Zarif said.
Republican blowback is running the gamut from calling for Kerry to leave his position as the top official addressing climate change to calling for an investigation and his prosecution. Biden administration officials are dismissing the allegations, saying the information Kerry allegedly shared was widely known at the time.
If so, why would Zarif have been "astonished: at the revelation from Kerry. On Twitter, Kerry denied the report saying: " I can tell you that this story and these allegations are unequivocally false. This never happened - either when I was Secretary of State or since." The audio begs to differ.
Among Republicans calling for Kerry's resignation are Florida Senator Rick Scott, Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan, ex-UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, who called for Kerry to be prosecuted, and said “This is a criminal act and John Kerry must be immediately investigated and PROSECUTED. President Biden must immediately remove John Kerry from any government or advisory position,”
Scott said >>>
thehill.com
The reports come from leaked tapes of a conversation in March between Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and an economist named Saeed Leylaz, an ally, was not meant for publication, as the foreign minister can repeatedly be heard saying on the audio. A copy was leaked to the London-based Persian news channel Iran International, which first reported on the recording and shared it with The New York Times. Kerry informed him that Israel had attacked Iranian interests in Syria at least 200 times, to his astonishment, Mr. Zarif said.
Republican blowback is running the gamut from calling for Kerry to leave his position as the top official addressing climate change to calling for an investigation and his prosecution. Biden administration officials are dismissing the allegations, saying the information Kerry allegedly shared was widely known at the time.
If so, why would Zarif have been "astonished: at the revelation from Kerry. On Twitter, Kerry denied the report saying: " I can tell you that this story and these allegations are unequivocally false. This never happened - either when I was Secretary of State or since." The audio begs to differ.
Among Republicans calling for Kerry's resignation are Florida Senator Rick Scott, Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan, ex-UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, who called for Kerry to be prosecuted, and said “This is a criminal act and John Kerry must be immediately investigated and PROSECUTED. President Biden must immediately remove John Kerry from any government or advisory position,”
Scott said >>>
Kerry faces calls to step down over leaked Iran tapes
John Kerry, the U.S. special envoy for climate change, is facing calls for his resignation from Republican lawmakers and pundits for reportedly discussing Israeli military operations with Iran…
thehill.com
