Sen. Chris Murphy Confirms He Met With Iranian Minister: ‘It’s Dangerous Not to Talk to Adversaries’
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) confirmed on Tuesday that he met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Munich, Germany, after Fox News contributor Mollie Hemingway broke news of the “secret meeting.”
After Hemingway reported for the Federalist on Monday that Murphy and other Democratic senators “had a secret meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during the Munich Security Conference last week,” Murphy confirmed the meeting on Twitter.
“I met w the Iranian Foreign Minister in Munich. It’s dangerous not to talk to adversaries, esp amidst a cycle of escalation,” Murphy wrote, claiming that he “urged” the foreign minister “to control any Iranian proxies in Iraq who might attack U.S. forces and allies there,” and “pressed him to release American citizens being unlawfully detained in Iran.”
1/ Attached is my usual account of my latest trip abroad, this one to Ukraine and Munich.
I met w the Iranian Foriegn Minister in Munich. It’s dangerous not to talk to adversaries, esp amidst a cycle of escalation.
Quick thread on what I told Zarif.https://t.co/2oYjiXfZ7J
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 18, 2020
2/ First, I urged him to control any Iranian proxies in Iraq who might attack U.S. forces and allies there.
Second, I pressed him to release American citizens being unlawfully detained in Iran.
Third, I pushed him to end the Houthi blockage of humanitarian aid in Yemen.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 18, 2020
“Congress is a co-equal branch to the executive. We set foreign policy too. Many of us have met w Zarif over the years, under Obama and Trump,” explained Murphy. “So though no one in Congress can negotiate with Zarif or carry official U.S. government messages, there is value in having a dialogue.”
3/ Congress is a co-equal branch to the executive. We set foreign policy too. Many of us have met w Zarif over the years, under Obama and Trump. So though no one in Congress can negotiate with Zarif or carry official U.S. government messages, there is value in having a dialogue.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 18, 2020
He concluded, “I wish President Trump would see that value too. Because our current policy of blind, non-strategic escalation is just making Iran more powerful and menacing, and making America weaker and less secure.”
4/ I wish President Trump would see that value too. Because our current policy of blind, non-strategic escalation is just making Iran more powerful and menacing, and making America weaker and less secure.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 18, 2020
Murphy went into greater detail about the meeting in a blog post on Medium.
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