Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) challenges Iranian FM Javad Zarif to a debate

[Statistikhengst]

Here's the background. Javad Zarif, the foreign minister of Iran, took a swipe at Tom Cotton and it was reported yesterday in US News and World Report:

Zarif Seized Ship Meddling Senator Won t Sink Nuke Deal - US News

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Wednesday said international politics had nothing to do with Iran’s seizure of a cargo ship in the Persian Gulf, deflecting criticism from opponents of a U.S.-negotiated nuclear deal who pointed to the incident as proof that Tehran is untrustworthy and cannot be depended upon as a reliable partner.

Zarif, who is in New York for the opening of the U.N. Nonproliferation Treaty Conference, appeared eager to turn Tuesday’s events to his advantage, framing the incident as part of a broader message about how vulnerable the nuclear deal is to the misperceptions of critics outside the negotiations...

...The Iranian foreign minister addressed the U.S. domestic political debate regarding the negotiations, referencing a letter sent by 47 Republican senators to leaders of the Islamic republic warning that any deal agreed to by President Barack Obama could be undone by a subsequent administration. The initiative was led by freshman Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark, whom Zarif called out by name Wednesday, saying with a chuckle that upon completion of a deal Iran expects sanctions to be dropped in the U.N. Security Council “whether Sen. Cotton likes it or not.”

“We don’t want to get bogged down into the domestic procedures in the United States. I’ve studied and lived in the U.S.,” Zarif said. “I know enough about the U.S. Constitution and U.S. procedures, but as a foreign government I only deal with U.S. government. I do not deal with U.S. Congress.”...

Well, that didn't sit too well with Sen. Cotton, who then responded from his website:

Cotton Responds to Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif s Comments About Lifting Sanctions Senator Tom Cotton

“President Obama promised sanctions would only be lifted when Iran’s compliance with restrictions on their nuclear program were verified. But earlier today, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif once again contradicted the President’s interpretation saying:

If we have an agreement on the 30th of June, within a few days after that, there will be a resolution before the UN Security Council under Article 41 of Chapter 7 which will be mandatory for all member states whether Senator Cotton likes it or not.

“Sanctions relief isn’t about what I like, but what will keep America safe from a nuclear-armed Iran. But I suspect Foreign Minister Zarif is saying what President Obama will not because the President knows such terms would be unacceptable to both Congress and the American people. The repeated provocative statements made by members of the Iranian leadership demonstrate why Iran cannot be trusted and why the President’s decision to pursue this deal and grant dangerous concessions to Iran was ill-advised from the beginning. These aren’t rhetorical tricks aimed at appealing to hard-liners in Iran; after all, Mr. Zarif was speaking in English in New York. Rather, they foreshadow the dangerous posture Iran will take and has taken repeatedly—including as recently as yesterday with the interception of a U.S.-affiliated cargo ship—if this deal moves forward.

“More, they reaffirm the need for Congress to approve any final deal and to conduct oversight over the Obama Administration’s actions. As we consider the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, I urge my colleagues to ensure we pass legislation strong enough to stop a bad deal in its tracks and protect the American people from a nuclear Iran.”

Note: information from elected officials is considered public domain and therefore may be copied in full, since it does not fall under copyright restrictions.

Shortly thereafter, Tom Cotton took to twitter and challenged Zarif to a debate.

It's pretty unusual for a Senator to do this, but I doubt it's illegal. It's a little tacky, but for a man maybe even considering a presidential run in the future, I suppose it builds him some cred with his red-meat base. Calling a foreign dignitary a "coward" is also probably not the best way to sway foreign policy, either.

But it does show that Tom Cotton's careless (and I think, treacherous) behavior with the letter that was signed by 47 Republican Senators has not been forgotten.



Discuss: should the two debate?

Frothers may now commence with their frothing.

 

[LoneLaugher]

What is he, 12?

 

[Statistikhengst]

What is he, 12?

I was thinking 11....

and I prophesy some wonderful political cartoonery coming out of this one!!!

 

[Meathead]

What is he, 12?

No, Stats is just an idiot...gay too.

 

[occupied]

He's a fool, the worst kind. He's willing to drag along any number of people on his hubris hayride to humiliation.

 

[Statistikhengst]

He's a fool, the worst kind. He's willing to drag along any number of people on his hubris hayride to humiliation.

Kind of well pictured here:

But among the hard-wing firebrands within the GOP, he will be a hero.

 

[Statistikhengst]

OP UPDATE (about 3 hours later):

Iranian FM Zarif has tweeted back:

Being reported in Politico:

Iran s Zarif fires back at Tom Cotton s tweets - Nick Gass - POLITICO