Conversations between former Obama officials and Iranian government officials have been ongoing since November 2016.
Tensions between the US and Iran have increased recently, after Iran warned that it would increase its stockpile of nuclear-related materials - though the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a quarterly report seen on Friday by the Wall Street Journal that Tehran remains in compliance with its main commitments under the 2015 nuclear agreement.
Now we learn that former Obama administration officials have been advising Iran this whole time.
Three Obama officials who worked closely on the Iran nuclear deal, one of whom is still in touch with Iranian government officials, traveled to Capitol Hill to brief congressional Democrats about the situation.
"Former Obama administration officials gave wrong-headed advice to the regime in Iran that U.S. sanctions couldn't work without European support and that the regime should just wait out the Trump administration," according to Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the DC-based think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies, which has advised the Trump administration on Iran policy.
One former official who worked on the Obama administration's Iran policy told The Daily Beast he spoke with Iranian government officials as recently as a few weeks ago, as tensions were cresting.
Separately, some former Obama officials are trying to keep the roots of the Iran nuclear deal alive by taking the pulse of lawmakers on Capitol Hill to gauge whether they are in favor of restarting talks in the future.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-06-01/former-obama-officials-helping-iran-outmaneuver-united-states
Tensions between the US and Iran have increased recently, after Iran warned that it would increase its stockpile of nuclear-related materials - though the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a quarterly report seen on Friday by the Wall Street Journal that Tehran remains in compliance with its main commitments under the 2015 nuclear agreement.
Now we learn that former Obama administration officials have been advising Iran this whole time.
Three Obama officials who worked closely on the Iran nuclear deal, one of whom is still in touch with Iranian government officials, traveled to Capitol Hill to brief congressional Democrats about the situation.
"Former Obama administration officials gave wrong-headed advice to the regime in Iran that U.S. sanctions couldn't work without European support and that the regime should just wait out the Trump administration," according to Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the DC-based think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies, which has advised the Trump administration on Iran policy.
One former official who worked on the Obama administration's Iran policy told The Daily Beast he spoke with Iranian government officials as recently as a few weeks ago, as tensions were cresting.
Separately, some former Obama officials are trying to keep the roots of the Iran nuclear deal alive by taking the pulse of lawmakers on Capitol Hill to gauge whether they are in favor of restarting talks in the future.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-06-01/former-obama-officials-helping-iran-outmaneuver-united-states
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