Iran's Javad Zarif joked about kidnapping Obama's daughter to ensure he signed nuke deal, leaked tapes reveal
A new report indicates that the 2015 nuclear accord was so favorable to Iran that the country's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif "jokingly suggested" kidnapping then-President Barack Obama's daughter to ensure the deal came into effect.
Zarif was heard in a leaked audiotape, first reported by Iran International, praising the original nuclear deal as a major win for Tehran as the country was previously reeling under harsh economic sanctions by the US.
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According to the Washington Free Beacon, which translated the audiotape, Zarif said Iran had "scored six goals against the opponent" when it was down 6 to 0. Meanwhile, he also recalled "jokingly" suggesting that he would kidnap one of Obama's daughters, not anyone in particular, and bring her to Iran so that the United States had no choice but to sign and implement the deal.
According to the Free Beacon, Zarif's private remarks provided "new insight into just how badly Iran needed the nuclear deal, which provided it with billions of dollars in cash windfalls and unwound sanctions that had nearly destroyed the country’s economy."
Zarif is now said to be pressuring Obama's former number 2, President Joe Biden, into guaranteeing a new round of relief as the country is once again on the brink of economic collapse due to the Trump administration's hardline sanctions. According to the Free Beacon, the leaked remarks indicate that Iran's leadership is seeking a new deal "more than it is publicly letting on."
Zarif reportedly admitted on the audiotape that they "were naive" to fully trust the Obama administration when it signed the original accord. Trump was easily able to cancel the deal after taking office as the Obama administration had circumvented Congress and never submitted the deal for approval.
According to the report, the foreign minister also maintained that he should not be blamed by Iran's top brass for Trump's 2018 decision to pull out of the deal and implement a barrage of economic sanctions against the country. This suggested that Iran's leadership had held Zarif responsible, at least in part, for the deal falling apart.
Zarif then offered a rather bleak prediction on the future of US-Iran ties. "I believe Iran and the U.S. will never be friends as long as the Islamic Republic preserves its identity," he said. "Never will our issues with America be resolved."
Zarif explained that the hardline zealots in power couldn't maintain stable relations with America if they continued to advocate Israel's destruction and undermine Western interests in the Middle East. "The identity of the Islamic Republic, we don’t want to solve," Zarif said. "Recognizing the Zionist regime, we don’t want to solve."
Zarif's comments were reportedly supposed to remain classified until the current administration led by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani left office later this year. However, the tapes have sparked a discussion about the gulf between the moderates in the country and Iran's clerical leadership. According to the Free Beacon, some have said Zarif is being genuine on the tape, while others think it is a ploy to pressure the United States into signing a revamped nuclear deal.
According to Zarif, Iranian military leaders exert too much power in the government. Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, one such leader, issued renewed threats to destroy Israel on Wednesday.
"Everyone should know that the Islamic Republic of Iran does not tolerate the military or even civilian presence of the Zionist regime in the region in any way, because their presence is provocative and causes many issues," Vahidi was quoted as saying in Iran's state-controlled press.