Tehran:
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Sunday slammed as a “big mistake” remarks by Iran’s foreign minister, a week following audio emerged of the latter bemoaning the military’s influence on diplomacy.
Top diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif, a extended-standing essential member of moderate President Hassan Rouhani’s cabinet, made the remarks in a 3-hour “confidential” conversation 1st published by media outlets outdoors Iran a week ago.
The recording provoked anger from conservatives. But moderates have questioned who stood to achieve from the leak, as presidential elections loom and amid pivotal talks looking for to revive a hobbled 2015 nuclear deal amongst Iran and world powers.
“The country’s policies are made of different economic, military, social, scientific and cultural plans, including foreign relations and diplomacy,” Khamenei mentioned in televised remarks.
Saying “that one part denies the other or contradicts… is a big mistake that must not be perpetrated by officials of the Islamic republic,” the supreme leader added.
Khamenei did not explicitly cite the leaked audio or Zarif’s name, but the comments, in the last couple of minutes of an hour-extended speech, have been clearly targeted at the foreign minister.
The supreme leader emphasised that “nowhere in the world is foreign policy devised by the foreign ministry”.
The diplomatic apparatus is only “the executor” of choices made at larger levels, he mentioned, noting that choices are made by the Supreme National Security Council.
‘Final word’
Zarif mentioned in the recording that “the military field rules” in Iran and that he had “sacrified diplomacy for the military field rather than the field servicing diplomacy.”
Khamenei mentioned on Sunday “some of these remarks are a repeat of hostile remarks of our enemies, repeating America’s rhetoric.”
The US and Iran have been at loggerheads for decades, but tensions ratcheted considerably for the duration of the administration of president Donald Trump.
Trump 3 years ago unilaterally abandoned the 2015 nuclear deal amongst Iran and world powers, imposing biting sanctions which have prompted Tehran to progressively abandon its commitments beneath the deal.
He also presided more than a US air strike last year in Iraq that killed prime Iranian common Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ foreign operations arm.
Remarks by Zarif on the extensively revered Soleimani in the leaked audio have hit a specific nerve amongst conservatives.
On Sunday, the supreme leader praised the Guards’ external arm for getting “realised the Islamic republic’s independent policy in the West Asia region”.
Hours ahead of Khamenei’s speech, Zarif had taken to Instagram to seek forgiveness from Soleimani’s household.
Then, late Sunday, the foreign minister mentioned that Khamenei’s remarks “are the final word and the endpoint for expert discussions.”
“I hope that with the help of God, me and my colleagues will be able to work with one mind and heart alongside other public servants for the perfect implementation of the supreme leader’s orders,” Zarif added.
He mentioned Sunday he was “very sorry” that his “personal views” have been published and exploited by Iran’s “ill-wishers” and upset the supreme leader.
‘Making enemies happy’
The foreign minister had previously described his leaked comments as his “understanding and analysis”.
The leak came as remaining parties to the 2015 nuclear deal — Iran, China, Russia, France, the UK and Germany — have been in Vienna looking for to bring the US back on board.
Under President Joe Biden, the US has signalled a willingness to return to the deal and the Vienna talks have sparked cautious optimism, notably from Russia as a third round adjourned this weekend.
President Rouhani, who is approaching the finish of his second and final term, on Wednesday mentioned the audio leak was timed so as to sow “discord” in Iran itself, just as the Vienna talks have been “at the height of their success”.
Reformist papers in Iran have meanwhile sought to query which faction stood to achieve from the leaking of the audio, ahead of presidential elections on June 18.
“If I knew a word of… (my remarks) would be published publicly I would not have said them,” Zarif mentioned early Sunday.
In his speech, Khamenei warned against speaking “in a way that would mean we do not accept the country’s policies”.
“We have to be careful about making the enemies happy,” he mentioned.
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