May 3, 2021
2 mins read

Iranian FM apologises for leaked audio

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has publicly slammed Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for his comments….reports Asian Lite News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8c16Hmiz9c

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has apologised for critical remarks he was heard saying about the country’s political system in a leaked audio recording.

“I would like to apologise to everyone,” dpa nws agency quoted Zarif, one of Iran’s most high-profile figures and who has been Foreign Minister since 2013, as saying in a social media post on Sunday.

Zarif said he regretted comments he made in which he complained about the interference of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a branch of the armed forces, in diplomatic affairs.

The remarks came in an interview conducted by one of President Hassan Rouhani’s advisers.

The audio tape was allegedly stolen by “inner circles” and then published by Persian-language news outlets abroad.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Later on Sunday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticized Zarif for his comments.

“We have heard statements in recent days that were very regrettable,” Khamenei said in a televised speech.

He said the remarks resembled US criticism of the IRGC.

Also read:UK condemns new sentence for dual citizen in Iran

“If someone wants to run for the presidency, they must follow the Iranian Constitution and its Islamic principles, otherwise he is not suitable for the post,” Khamenei said.

Zarif is considered a potential candidate in next month’s presidential election.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani

The scandal has dominated the front pages of Iranian newspapers for days as it seemed to suggest a rift among the country’s leadership ahead of the vote.

Rouhani, who cannot run for re-election, said the leak was a tactic by hardliners to help them win over voters as well as to hinder ongoing nuclear negotiations.

“Why are certain things happening just when we are on the verge of success in the nuclear negotiations in Vienna?” the President queried.

Talks continue in Vienna to revive a deal aimed at softening Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

The US left the framework under former US President Donald Trump but is working to rejoin and needs Iran to agree.

General Soleimani(wikipedia)

According to Rouhani, the hardliners want to sabotage the nuclear negotiations and thus preserve their chances before the presidential election.

For his part, Zarif said he had not given a “classic interview” but a “theoretical exchange of views” about strategy with a member of the presidential office.

Part of what made Zarif’s candid remarks so explosive was his criticism of Qasem Soleimani.

Soleimani, the commander of the Guards’ elite Quds Force, was killed in a US attack in Baghdad in January 2020.

Also read:Iran welcomes rapprochement with Saudi

Previous Story

UK considers abolishing quarantine for Covid contact

Next Story

Boris, Modi to hold virtual summit

Latest from -Top News

Texas flash floods kill at least 24; Trump vows help

President calls tragedy ‘shocking’ as search for missing continues overnight At least 24 people have died in Kerr County, Texas, after catastrophic flooding swept through the region, prompting a large-scale rescue and

UK MPs Slam Pakistan Over Minority Abuses

Minority communities such as Shias, Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadis continue to face harassment, violence, and intimidation. In many cases, law enforcement either turns a blind eye or enables the attacks through inaction…reports

Words Won’t Stop China, Quad Must Deliver

 If the Quad aims to counterbalance China’s growing influence, it must expand its focus beyond the maritime domain and address the continental dynamics of the Indo-Pacific…writes Imran Khurshid Despite early concerns that
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Iran denounces Israeli FM’s visit to Bahrain

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian has denounced his Israeli

Over 3,000 undocumented Afghans returning daily from Iran

International Organization for Migration (IOM) expressed concerns over the challenging