Khamenei Sorry for Letting FM Zarif be Point Person to Americans

The Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader is not too big to admit a mistake. The Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that he erred in allowing his foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to be the point man opposite then-US Secretary of State John Kerry during negotiations for the nuclear development deal. Based on Khamenei’s comments and earlier statements, it appears that his motivation for entering the talks at all was to seek relief from American economic sanctions which were obviously having strong impact. Those officials who favored entering the agreement spoke of a strong economic rebound triggered by the lifting of sanctions. But that was not happening even before the onset of the Ayatollah’s latest nemesis: US President Donald Trump. Recent street demonstrations portend possible political upheaval.