by WorldTribune Staff, April 27, 2021
In leaked audio recordings, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif alleged that former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had revealed to him information about covert operations in which Israel had struck around 200 Iranian targets in Syria.
“John Kerry was ratting out Israeli covert operations in Syria directly to the Iranian foreign minister. Let that sink in. Wow,” Noah Pollak of the foreign policy-focused Democratic Alliance Group wrote on Twitter.
Under fire, with many calling on him to resign from his current post as Team Biden's climate czar, Kerry has denied the allegations.
“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,” Kerry wrote in a statement posted to Twitter.
Kerry has previously been accused of colluding with Iranian leaders to undermine the Trump administration. Kerry is now a part of the Biden administration and has a seat on the National Security Council.
Kerry's additional meetings with Zarif, held as a private citizen after he left office in January 2017, have also raised questions about what he has told Iranian officials over the years.
Related: Editorial: Kerry’s ‘shadow diplomacy’ with Iran is collusion of the Logan Act kind, September 23, 2018
While the predominantly leftist media in both the U.S. and Israel scrambled to downplay the allegations, Republicans in Congress blasted Kerry.
“The allegations involving John Kerry are deeply disturbing and must be explained immediately,” Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott said in a statement. “Until we have clarity and know the truth,” Joe Biden “must remove John Kerry from all access to and briefings on national security intelligence. If these allegations are true, he must resign.”
“If this is true, it’s traitorous and Kerry needs to go,” Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan tweeted.
“This is a criminal act, and John Kerry must be immediately investigated and PROSECUTED,” New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik tweeted, adding the Biden “must immediately remove John Kerry from any government or advisory position.”
The Left wasted no time in rallying around one of their own.
"I'm going to stand by John Kerry," said Illinois Democrat Sen. Dick Durbin.
Virginia Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine claimed that Kerry has been an "honest broker" on behalf of the United States.
"These are unsubstantiated allegations and Secretary Kerry says they're not true and I have no reason to think that he's not being straight with us," Kaine said.
Analysts say Zarif's comments could affect talks in Vienna in which the U.S. could return to the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. Sabotage targeted Iran's nuclear facility at Natanz during the talks as Teheran has begun enriching a small amount of uranium up to 60 percent purity, which edges the country closer to weapons-grade levels.
