Iranian families slam Zarif for slandering Soleimani
Audio of Zarif giving an interview in which he slammed Soleimani and appeared to suggest the IRGC had undermined him has led to controversy.
By SETH J. FRANTZMANUpdated: MAY 2, 2021 18:05Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said on Thursday any U.S. or Saudi military strike against Iran would result in "all-out war"(photo credit: REUTERS/EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA)
Several Iranian “martyrs” families have criticized Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for insulting Qasem Soleimani, the assassinated Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force commander. In a leaked recording of an interview, Zarif attacked Soleimani and appeared to suggest that the IRGC had undermined him.Their controversial letter was directed to “Dear Dr. Zarif, honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” It cited the publication of the recent audio file and said they seek “to prevent the distortion of the line of resistance and the great benefits gained for Islamic Iran by this dear martyr [Soleimani].”Soleimani’s role in Zarif’s leaked tape does not “correspond to reality... He is not alive and cannot defend himself against your words,” the letter said. “Is this a tradition of fairness and morality? Mr. Zarif, the published words were so unfair.”Zarif had disputed the “regional decisions of Haj Qasem Soleimani,” the letter said, adding that without Soleimani, “you could not conduct diplomacy in the region as you wished… you have been negotiating with Europe and the United States for a long time, and these negotiations are not limited to your eight-year responsibility in the government… In previous periods, you did not achieve a tangible achievement for the people of Iran, but not for the reason that you cowardly linked to the decisions of the dear martyr [Soleimani].”“We explicitly state that you have been unable to achieve the desired result since the beginning of the negotiations at different times, but each time you attribute this failure to others than yourself under various pretexts,” the letter said.The authors of the letter basically accuse Zarif of incompetence and putting blame on other Iranians rather than on Iran’s enemies.Soleimani’s abilities made Iran strong and provided Zarif with his negotiating power, “the power that was provided to you by the unparalleled courage of Sardar Soleimani, because no country is willing to negotiate with the diplomat of a defeated country,” they wrote.The letter cast doubt on Zarif’s timeline of Russian intervention in Syria, noting that Syria was in crisis for several years before Russia intervened in 2015.They wrote: “The Syrian regime has gone through a crisis... If Syria was not in crisis, why did Mr. Putin come to the conclusion... that he should intervene militarily on Syrian soil?” In essence, this justified Soleimani’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin about intervention in Syria, they wrote.The letter is part of a growing pushback against Zarif in Iran. Meanwhile, Zarif has been negotiating in Doha and other areas. He has also backed a ceasefire in Yemen after meeting with the Houthis and had meetings in Baghdad and Kuwait.
These meetings are designed to show he is still valued in Tehran even as members of parliament and others are displeased with his performance and disgusted by the leaked tapes. Although Iran wants to blame the West for the leaked tapes, many officials also feel disappointed in Zarif.
