Trump criticizes former Secretary of State John Kerry for harming American interests
Trump said that John Kerry's meeting with the Iranian foreign minister privately, even though he had left office, was an act that influenced his policy.
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John Kerry (left) and Mohammad Javad Zarif in Switzerland in January 2015. Photo:AFP. |
"John Kerry had illegal meetings with the hostile Iranian regime, affecting our work and harming American interests," Trump wrote on Twitter.
Former Secretary of State Kerry, who negotiated the 2015 Iran nuclear deal under Obama, said while promoting his new book that he has met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif three or four times since leaving office, according toAFP.
Asked if he would give Zarif advice on how to deal with Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, Kerry replied: "No, that's not my job."
“I was very frank with Foreign Minister Zarif that he needs to realize that the world does not appreciate what is happening with missiles, Hezbollah and Yemen,” he added.
"He told them to wait until the Trump administration is out! Terrible," Trump criticized Kerry. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused his predecessor of "actively undermining US policy" and said the action was "unprecedented".
Meanwhile, Kerry's spokesman said there was nothing wrong with his actions. "Kerry stays in touch with his counterparts around the world, as every secretary of state has before him," the spokesman said. "In his conversation with Secretary Pompeo earlier this year, Kerry went into great detail about what he knew about Iran's position."
