The mounting tension bewteen United States and Iran are making problems for both the countries, an exclusive piece from The Daily Beast reports that former Obama Aadministration officials are using their connections to speak with Iranians officials in what appears to be an attemp to undercut the Trump administration.
“As the Trump administration sent warplanes and an aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf, a small group of former Obama administration officials reached out to their contacts in the Iranian government, including Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif,” The Daily Beast reported.
“Their message to Iran: Don’t take Trump’s bait. Stay calm.”
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The report alleges that conversations between Iranian officials and Obama officials have been taking place since November 2016, specifically when Zarif is in the United States for the convening of the U.N. General Assembly.
However, as tensions have continued to mount, the conversations have been taking place “over the phone and in person over the last two months,” according to the report.
However Obama officials reportedly told The Daily Beast that these conversations were “normal,” Republicans see it as anything but normal.
“It’s not just about what they were saying to the Iranians. It’s about what they were saying to their political allies back here in the U.S.,” the aide said.
“Their strategy was to divide and isolate the Trump administration just as the Trump administration was trying to re-establish deterrence with Iran. In the current highly partisan political environment, the only safe course is to signal national unity — and they contributed to eroding that at home and abroad,” the aide continued
