Disagreements of the Iranian regime, the secret behind Zarif’s absence from a main meeting
Disagreements and conflicts between Iran’s ruling elite have surfaced recently, especially in light of wide-ranging disagreements over the nuclear talks, most recently during Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s meeting with strategic members of foreign relations and former foreign ministers, which former Foreign Minister Mohammad Djavad Zarif contested.
Without Djavad Zarif
According to Iranian media, after reports of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi meeting with current and former foreign affairs officials prior to his visit to Moscow, he did not invite former Foreign Minister Mohammad Djavad Zarif.
Two days ago, the editor-in-chief of Iran’s Mashregh News website, Hossein Soleimani, revealed in a tweet that Ebrahim Raisi held a meeting on the eve of his visit to Russia with Ali Larijani, Kamal Kharazi, Said Jalili, and Ali Akbar Velayati, about this visit.
Audio leaks
According to Iran’s Shargh newspaper, the reason Mohammad Djavad Zarif was not invited to the meeting may have been due to his statements about Russia in the leaked audio file.
According to reports, former Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi and Ali Akbar Velayati attended the meeting, but Mohammad Djavad Zarif and Manouchehr Mottaki did not.
The Sharq newspaper reported Saturday: “Zarif’s failure to call may have been related to the republication of part of his much-hyped audio file in which he sharply criticized Russian policies”.
Zarif’s accusations against Russia
Zarif said in the audio file: Russia blocked the nuclear deal, and sought its destruction after it was concluded.
Zarif also mentioned the visit to Moscow of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards.
The representative of Russia responds: headache
Responding to Zarif’s remarks, Russia’s representative at the Vienna talks, Mikhail Ivanovich Ulyanov, wrote: “Serious people don’t care what is said as a result of toothache or headache”, but Ulyanov later deleted his tweet.
Criticism of Russia’s role in Iran has been strong on social media in recent years.
Potential military and economic transactions
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is scheduled to visit Moscow next Wednesday, during which time Iranian media expect contracts to be signed for some military purchases to Iran, including Soukhoï Su-35 fighters.
Some media outlets, including Iran’s Tejarat News website, also predicted that the 20-year Iran-Russia Comprehensive Cooperation Document would be signed during the visit.
In this regard, the Iranian Ambassador to Moscow, Kazem Jalali, said last July: The text of the agreement was prepared to transform the Mutual Relations Treaty into a political, security, military, defense and economic agreement for 20 years.
