Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) disclosed that he met with Iran’s Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, during the Munich Security Conference, but didn’t say whether other senators took part.
On Monday, The Federalist reported that Murphy secretly met with Zarif while he was in Munich, but his office did not comment on the story at the time.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo responded to that report, and said he hopes the senators were “reinforcing America’s foreign policy and not their own.”
“I have seen that piece about some senators meeting with Foreign Minister Zarif. This guy is designated by the United States of America. He’s the foreign minister for a country that shot down a commercial airliner and has yet to turn over the black boxes. This is the foreign minister of a country that killed an American on December 27.”
“And it’s the foreign minister of a country who is the largest world sponsor of terror and the world’s largest sponsor of anti-Semitism If they met, I don’t know what they said. I hope they were reinforcing America’s foreign policy and not their own,” he added.
In a series of tweets on Tuesday, Murphy confirmed that he met with Zarif and defended the decision, noting that Congress has some authority in foreign policy decisions.
“I met [with] the Iranian Foriegn Minister in Munich. It’s dangerous not to talk to adversaries, [especially] amidst a cycle of escalation.”
2/ First, I urged him to control any Iranian proxies in Iraq who might attack U.S. forces and allies there.
— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 18, 2020
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.
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
Conservatives blasted Murphy on Twitter, alleging that he undermined U.S. policy during the meeting.
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/1229799426392236032
Senator Chris Murphy: Trump tasked Gen. Flynn to "undermine [Obama] foreign policy on Russia" by setting up a meeting w RU ambassador 3wks b4 inauguration. Encourages prosecution.
— Jordan Schachtel @ dossier.today (@JordanSchachtel) February 18, 2020
Also Sen. Chris Murphy: deliberately & proudly undermines US foreign policy by meeting w/ FM Zarif. pic.twitter.com/YA2Fhm1uz6
1. Did leftwing Trump-hating senator, Chris Murphy, violate the Logan Act by meeting secretly with Iran’s foreign minister? Did he interfere with American foreign policy?
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) February 18, 2020
Murphy defended his meeting and noted that Congress cannot negotiate with foreign leaders. However, he added that there is “value in having a dialogue” with adversaries and blasted the administration’s Iran policy as a “policy of blind, non-strategic escalation.”
Murphy has been critical of Trump’s decision to order the strike that killed Iran’s top general, Qasem Soleimani. Shortly after the strike, Murphy took to Twitter to question if Trump risked setting off a potential massive regional war” without Congressional approval.
