VIDEO: Kerry Justifies Covert Meetings With Iran Under Trump Administration

John Kerry’s Secret Negotiations: A Closer Look

John Kerry, President Joe Biden’s climate envoy, recently found himself defending his controversial decision to engage in backdoor negotiations with Iranian officials during the Trump administration. These clandestine meetings were aimed at preserving the 2015 nuclear deal, and Kerry, who was not in government at the time, held at least three secret meetings with former Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif.

During a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Kerry faced tough questioning from Rep. Michael Waltz (R., Fla.) who accused him of undermining the current administration’s diplomacy. At the time of Kerry’s meetings with Zarif, then-president Donald Trump was actively working to dismantle the nuclear accord and impose strict sanctions on Tehran.

“Shadow diplomacy,” Kerry argued, “is permissible depending on its purpose. In fact, shadow diplomacy has saved us from war in the past.” Kerry referred to the back-channel discussions that played a crucial role in diffusing the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.

However, Kerry’s actions drew widespread scrutiny after Zarif claimed that the former secretary of state had shared sensitive information about Israeli strikes in Syria. Kerry vehemently denied these allegations, stating that such a conversation “never took place.” He also pointed out that details about Israel’s attacks on Iranian positions were already “in public circulation” at the time.

Rep. Waltz dismissed Kerry’s rationale, asserting that his shadow diplomacy had brought the United States dangerously close to Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon.

When pressed for details on how he communicated with Zarif, Kerry chose not to elaborate, leaving unanswered questions about the use of encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, or Signal.