Malcolm Rivera
John Kerry, a former US Secretary of State, has been accused of engaging in shadow diplomacy with Iran. Kerry, who served under President Barack Obama, allegedly colluded with Iran to undermine the Trump administration's diplomacy efforts. There were reports of meetings with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif during the Trump years, with the goal of devising a strategy to undermine the Trump administration and build support for the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA). These actions have drawn scrutiny and criticism, with some questioning whether Kerry broke federal law by engaging in unauthorized discussions with foreign officials. The Biden administration's involvement in these allegations has also been questioned.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Nature of John Kerry's meetings with Iranian officials | Face-to-face |
| John Kerry's role in the Biden administration | Climate adviser |
| John Kerry's role in the Obama administration | Secretary of State |
| Iranian official involved in the meetings | Foreign Minister Javad Zarif |
| U.S. official involved in the meetings | Robert Malley, Special Envoy for Iran Policy at the State Department |
| Objective of the meetings | To undermine the Trump administration's diplomacy |
| To preserve the Iran nuclear deal | |
| To devise a political strategy to undermine the Trump administration | |
| To build support for the JCPOA or a similar deal | |
| To discuss ways of improving the dynamic in the Middle East | |
| To work behind the Trump administration and make promises to Iran's Mullahs to be fulfilled under a Biden presidency | |
| To salvage the nuclear deal with Iran | |
| To advance pro-Iran causes | |
| To advise the Iranian government on how to evade U.S. pressure | |
| Legal implications | Possible violation of the federal Logan Act |
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What You'll Learn
John Kerry's involvement in the Iran nuclear deal
John Kerry, the former US Secretary of State, has been accused of engaging in "shadow diplomacy" with Iran. In March 2024, five GOP lawmakers led by Rep. Mike Waltz of Florida, sent a letter to the State Department requesting that Kerry hand over all records of his "private correspondence" with former Iranian foreign minister, Javad Zarif. This comes as a warning that Kerry's actions may have violated the federal Logan Act.
Kerry has a history of unofficial meetings with Iranian officials, even after leaving his post as Secretary of State. In 2018, it was revealed that he communicated with Hussein Agha, a close associate of PA President Mahmoud Abbas. Kerry has also met with Iranian officials at the Munich Security Conference. During the Trump administration, Kerry met with Mr. Zarif, along with Obama-era Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. They were top US negotiators of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which aimed to restrict Iran's nuclear program and lift international sanctions.
The underlying goal of these meetings, according to a senior US official, was "to devise a political strategy to undermine the Trump administration" and to build support for the JCPOA or a similar deal. Kerry himself has stated that his actions were attempts to "elicit from him [Zarif] what Iran might be willing to do to change the dynamic in the Middle East for the better." He also defended "shadow diplomacy," stating that it has "saved us from a war," referencing the Cuban Missile Crisis as an example.
The lawmakers requested that Kerry commit to standing down from his "shadow diplomacy" if Trump returns to office. They asked if he would "cease any backchannel communications with Iran and any other foreign government" and not advise the Iranian government on evading US pressure. The outcome of this situation remains to be seen, but it has sparked concerns about the nature of Kerry's involvement with Iran and the potential implications for US-Iranian relations.
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Kerry's meetings with Iranian Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif
John Kerry, the former US Secretary of State, has been accused of engaging in "'shadow diplomacy' with Iran. Kerry has met several times with the Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, during the Trump administration. These meetings have been described as "illegal" and "inappropriate" by critics, who argue that Kerry was "actively undermining" US policy on Iran and advising the Iranian government on how to evade US pressure.
Kerry, however, defends his actions by stating that he was trying to elicit from Iran what it might be willing to do to change the dynamic in the Middle East for the better. He argues that "shadow diplomacy" has sometimes saved countries from war, citing the Cuban Missile Crisis as an example.
In response to the accusations, five GOP lawmakers, led by Rep. Mike Waltz of Florida, have sent a letter to the State Department demanding that Kerry hand over all records of his "private correspondence" with Zarif. The lawmakers are concerned that Kerry's actions may have violated the federal Logan Act, which prohibits US citizens from engaging in diplomatic negotiations with foreign governments without authorization.
Kerry's meetings with Zarif took place in various locations, including Oslo, Norway, Munich, and at the United Nations headquarters. In one instance, Zarif met with Robert Malley, President Obama's Middle East adviser, in an apparent bid to undermine the Trump team and lay the groundwork for post-Trump relations. Kerry has also been criticized for conducting similar "shadow meetings" with the leader of the Palestinian Authority (PA), Hussein Agha, a close associate of PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
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Accusations of collusion with Iran to undermine Trump
John Kerry, the former US Secretary of State, has been accused of colluding with Iran to undermine Donald Trump's presidency. These accusations stem from reports that Kerry engaged in "shadow diplomacy" with Iran, holding meetings with Iranian officials and conducting unofficial communications.
In 2018, it was revealed that Kerry had communicated with Hussein Agha, a close associate of PA President Mahmoud Abbas, during his time as Secretary of State. This communication occurred despite the White House claiming a complete disconnect between the Palestinian Authority and the Trump administration. Kerry's actions raised concerns about possible collusion with Iran to sabotage US interests.
The Boston Globe reported in 2018 that Kerry met with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif at the United Nations to discuss ways of preserving the Iran nuclear deal, which Trump had criticized and threatened to withdraw from. Trump slammed Kerry for engaging in "shadow diplomacy," calling it a "possibly illegal" act and accusing him of creating a "MESS" with the Iran Deal. Rudy Giuliani, a member of Trump's legal team, accused Kerry of violating the Logan Act, which prohibits unauthorized discussions with foreign officials.
GOP lawmakers also demanded that Kerry disclose details of his "shadow diplomacy" with Iran during the Trump administration, warning that his actions may have violated the federal Logan Act. They requested that Kerry commit to standing down from his self-described "shadow diplomacy" if Trump were to return to the White House, seeking assurance that he would cease any backchannel communications with Iran.
Kerry, however, defended his actions, arguing that "shadow diplomacy" has saved the country from war in the past, citing the Cuban Missile Crisis as an example. He also emphasized his belief in the importance of negotiation to resolve issues in the Middle East. While Kerry acknowledged his role in the Iran nuclear deal, he criticized Trump's decision to withdraw from it, calling it a "reckless" and "dangerous" move in foreign policy.
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Violation of the Logan Act
The Logan Act, enacted by the US Congress in 1799, forbids private citizens from engaging in unauthorized correspondence with foreign governments. The Act was a response to an attempt by a Philadelphia Quaker named George Logan to negotiate directly with the French government during a period of tension between the US and France. Logan, a Democratic-Republican, was trying to thwart the policy of the Federalists, who controlled Congress and the White House at the time.
Over the years, there have been several instances of alleged violations of the Logan Act. In 1852, Jonas Phillips Levy, an American merchant and sailor living in Mexico, became the second person to be indicted under the Act. Levy had acquired a grant to build a railway across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and wrote a letter to the Mexican President, urging him to reject a proposed treaty that would allow a group of American businessmen to build the railway. However, the case against Levy was dismissed due to a lack of evidence.
In more recent times, there have been accusations of Logan Act violations by both Democratic and Republican politicians. In 2015, 47 Republican senators released an open letter to the Iranian government regarding President Obama's nuclear arms agreement negotiations. A petition calling for the prosecution of the senators under the Logan Act garnered over 320,000 signatures. In 2018, former Secretary of State John Kerry met with the Iranian Foreign Minister to discuss the Iran nuclear deal, leading to accusations of "shadow diplomacy." Kerry's actions were criticized by GOP lawmakers, who demanded he disclose details of his communications with Iran.
While some have called for Kerry's prosecution under the Logan Act, legal experts have raised doubts about the constitutionality of the Act itself. To date, no one has been successfully prosecuted under the Logan Act, and it remains uncertain whether Kerry's actions, or those of other politicians accused of similar violations, would ultimately be considered a violation of the Act.
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Kerry's defence of his actions
John Kerry has been accused of engaging in "shadow diplomacy" with Iran, with five GOP lawmakers demanding that he disclose details of his "private correspondence" with former Iranian foreign minister, Javad Zarif. Despite the accusations, Kerry has defended his actions, stating that his efforts were aimed at trying to elicit what Iran might be willing to do to improve the dynamic in the Middle East. He has also argued that "shadow diplomacy" has, in the past, saved the US from war, citing the Cuban Missile Crisis as an example of successful back-channel conversations.
Kerry has denied sharing Israeli military information with Iran, refuting allegations made in leaked audio published by the New York Times. In the recording, Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif claimed that Kerry informed him of Israeli attacks on Iranian interests in Syria. However, Kerry vehemently denied the allegations, stating that the story and allegations were "unequivocally false."
Kerry's defenders have pointed out that he is not the only US official to engage in unofficial meetings with Iranian representatives. During the Trump administration, Obama-era Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and other top US negotiators of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) also met with Iranian officials. Furthermore, Kerry's actions may have been motivated by a desire to prevent a war and improve stability in the Middle East, a region already fraught with conflicts and tensions.
Additionally, Kerry has argued that his conversations with Iranian officials were not solely focused on US-Iran relations but also addressed broader geopolitical issues. For example, during the Iran nuclear deal negotiations, Kerry held meetings with Sultan Qaboos of Oman, who served as a conduit for secret nuclear talks between the US and Iran. These talks ultimately led to the historic nuclear deal signed during the Obama administration. Kerry has also met with Palestinian Authority officials, which may have been an attempt to address the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict, another complex issue in the region.
While Kerry's actions have sparked controversy and raised questions about the ethics of "shadow diplomacy," he maintains that his efforts were in the interest of improving stability and preventing conflicts in the Middle East.
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Frequently asked questions
Kerry has defended his actions by saying that his shadow diplomacy was an attempt to elicit from [Iran] what [they] might be willing to do in order to change the dynamic in the Middle East for the betterdepending on what it involves, shadow diplomacy has also saved us from a war.
It is unclear whether John Kerry broke any laws. However, some conservative figures have questioned whether he broke federal law by engaging in unauthorised discussions with foreign officials. There have been calls for Kerry to hand over all records of his "private correspondence" with former Iranian foreign minister, Javad Zarif.
Yes, Kerry has also been conducting shadow meetings with the leader of the Palestinian Authority (PA). In 2018, he met with a close associate of PA President Mahmoud Abbas, Hussein Agha, in London.
The Logan Act is a federal law that prohibits US citizens from engaging in unauthorised negotiations with foreign governments.
It is unclear whether John Kerry violated the Logan Act. However, there have been accusations and concerns that he may have violated the Act by engaging in shadow diplomacy with Iran.
