Several of Biden’s administration officials, including John Kerry and Robert Malley, met up with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif during the Trump administration in an effort to undermine President Biden’s predecessor.
Zarif held meetings with Obama administration veterans who could return to power “to devise a political strategy to undermine the Trump administration” and usher in softer diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran, according to an unnamed former senior U.S. official cited by The Washington Times.
The official was discussing face-to-face meetings between Zarif and influential Democrats in 2017, 2018 and 2019, according to The Washington Times.
Kerry is now Biden’s climate envoy, and Malley, who was part of creating the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) regarding Iran’s nuclear capabilities, is Biden’s Iran envoy.
The Washington Times reported that while former President Donald Trump’s attempts to set up a back channel with Iranian officials, meant to defuse tensions, fizzled, Democrats like Malley were meeting with Zarif.
Kerry has admitted that he met with Zarif on two separate occasions during the Trump administration, prompting Trump to say he should be prosecuted under the Logan Act.