Leaked Mohammad Javad Zarif audiotape
In April 2021, more than three hours of audiotape was leaked from a seven-hour interview between economist Saeed Leylaz and Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. The taped conversation was connected to an oral history project, "In the Islamic Republic the military field rules," that documents the work of Iran's current administration. The tape was obtained by the London-based news channel Iran International and publicized by "The New York Times". Zarif did not dispute the authenticity of the leaked tape, but questioned the motive. Iran International noted that Zarif's claim was  not very credible. Although the tape has not been authenticated, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman did not deny its validity, and critics of Zarif were calling for his resignation, saying that "he had threatened Iran’s national security by revealing to the world the country’s inner politics". Iran's president Hassan Rouhani ordered an investigation to identify who leaked the tape. He stated that it was "stolen for clear reasons". On May 2, 2021, in an Instagram post, Zarif apologized for the remarks that he made against Soleimani. John Kerry and Iranian diplomacy. In the tape, Zarif said former  U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told him that Israel attacked Iranian assets in Syria "at least 200 times." Zarif said that he was astonished by the admission. Kerry was not recorded speaking on the tape, and the date of the recording is unknown. A posting on Iran International's website indicated that Zarif was taken aback, that it was not the IRGC who informed him about the Israeli strikes against Iran, but Kerry. NBC reported that the leaked tape "inflamed a debate raging in Iran over the nuclear deal" with upcoming presidential elections. Also, its effects in the US  where "Republican opponents of nuclear diplomacy with Iran have seized on Zarif's account". History. On September 27, 2013, Kerry met with Zarif during the P5+1 and Iran summit, which eventually led to the JCPOA nuclear agreement. It was the highest-level direct contact between the United States and Iran in the last six years, and it made Kerry the first U.S. Secretary of State to have met with his Iranian counterpart since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. In April 2021, the spokesperson for the United States Department of State Ned Price stated in a press briefing that he  couldn't confirm the accuracy or authenticity of the Zarif audiotape or its claims, but implied that Kerry would not have likely been disclosing confidential information if it occurred. He stated that prior press reporting of Israeli attacks on Syria would have made the suspected call contents already part of the public record, making Kerry's alleged disclosures to Zarif as not confidential. As CNN noted, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed in July 2017 that Israeli airstrikes had targeted Iranian-backed Hezbollah-bound convoys in Syria "dozens of times", and in August 2017, Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen.  Amir Eshel confirmed that Israel had attacked convoys bringing arms to Hezbollah several times over the past five years. In 2018, Israeli Intelligence Minister Israel Katz stated that "in the last two years Israel has taken military action [against Iran] more than 200 times within Syria itself." However, it is unclear whether Kerry allegedly revealed the Israeli operations to Zarif before or after Israel itself publicly reported them in 2018. In May 2019, the Los Angeles Times reported that then President Donald Trump said that Kerry “should be prosecuted” for meeting privately with Iranian officials. Investigation requests. Nineteen Republican senators  signed a letter asking President Joe Biden to investigate the Zarif claim, writing: "We write to convey our grave concerns over U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry’s position as a member of your administration's National Security Council and his record – both past and present – of potentially working with America’s adversaries against our national security interests and those of our allies. We ask you to investigate recent allegations that Secretary Kerry revealed sensitive information to the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and if true, call for his removal from your national security team." Three Republican  representatives, Ann Wagner, Andy Barr, and Lee Zeldin, sent a letter to Diana Shaw, the State Department's acting inspector general, asking for a full investigation into Zarif's claims. In the letter they wrote, “Given the gravity of the security threat Iran poses to U.S. and Israeli interests, we respectfully ask that you fully investigate these allegations...Iran is a serious threat to Israel, a bulwark of democracy and stability in the Middle East. It is in our national security interest to stand by our strategic ally - not sell it out to our adversaries”. The letter also requested that  Shaw make a determination if Kerry should have his security clearance revoked. The lawmakers inquired what role Kerry had in formulating the Biden administration's policy on re-entering the JCPOA. They also questioned whether the state department knew of any Iranian proxy “follow-on attacks” made against Israel after Kerry allegedly met with Zarif. In May 2021, Republicans on the House Oversight and Reform Committee requested documents from the White House regarding Kerry's security clearance. In the letter, signed by all but three Republicans on the panel, they questioned "Kerry’s fitness to serve in his current role  with the National Security Council" and whether he should maintain a security clearance. Reactions. John Kerry. In a tweet, Kerry denied Zarif's account, writing: “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.” Republicans. Starting on April 27, 2021, some Republicans suggested that Kerry should resign from the Biden administration's National Security Council or where highly critical of Kerry's alleged disclosures. Other Republicans expressed uncertainty about the tape's veracity. Zarif's comments on Qasem Soleimani. In the tape, Zarif spoke  about his relationship with Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by a United States drone strike in 2020. Zarif said that "by assassinating [Soleimani] in Iraq, the United States delivered a major blow to Iran, more damaging than if it had wiped out an entire city in an attack". Reactions. On May 2, 2021, in an Instagram post, Zarif apologized for the remarks that he made against Soleimani, writing: "Some have tried to use this unfortunate situation as a means to disrupt the empathy of the brave people of this region or as a tool for short-term political goals...I  should emphasize that my words do not undermine a single bit of the greatness of Martyr General Soleimani and his irreplaceable role in restoring the security of Iran, the region and the world...If I had known a sentence from those words would have been made public, I certainly would not have uttered it as I did in the past."