The Leaked Recordings of Iran’s Top Diplomat Show the Futility of Renegotiating the Nuclear Deal

Last week, audio purported to be of a conversation between the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and an Iranian journalist was leaked to the press. Zarif publicly apologized for his remarks, suggesting that there should be little doubt about the recording’s accuracy. On the tape, Zarif claims that he found out from John Kerry, his then-American counterpart, about increased Iranian military operations in Syria, and the frequent use of the state-owned Iran Air, as opposed to a private entity, to transport men and arms there. He also claims that Kerry informed him of the extent of Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic’s positions in Syria. John Bolton comments on what can be learned from the episode: