Zarif Comments on Leak of Conversation with Iranian Economist to Media

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expressed regret over the leak of a recording of his conversation with Iranian economist Saeed Liliyaz to the media, stating that its publication has turned into an internal conflict.

On Sunday, media outlets released an excerpt from the recording of Zarif's conversation with Liliyaz, which took place in March. During the dialogue, the Iranian minister mentioned that General Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Iraq a year ago, played a significant role in Tehran's foreign policy and negotiations with Moscow. Zarif also stated that the current U.S. Secretary of State informed him about approximately 200 attacks on targets related to Iran in Syria carried out by Israel.

Zarif expressed regret that a secret discussion concerning diplomacy and military matters has turned into an internal dispute. The National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian parliament has invited the Foreign Minister to parliament to discuss his conversation with economist Saeed Liliyaz and the leak of the recording, as reported by Tasnim.

Economist Liliyaz criticized the leak of the conversation and expressed hope that the country's security services would reveal its source.