Soleimani: Zarif Has No Authority to Negotiate on Issues Other Than Nuclear

Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, stated that Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, has not been given the authority to negotiate or deal with the West on any issue other than the nuclear file. News agencies Fars and Mehr published parts of Soleimani's remarks during a meeting with members of a Hamas delegation to Iran in February of this year. According to the report, the meeting occurred after an audio file of discussions among Hamas leaders reached Iranian officials, in which Iran's support for the group was described as a 'big lie.' The Hamas leader who made these comments attempted to meet with Iranian officials in Beirut but received the message: 'The game is over.' This prompted another Hamas delegation to travel to Iran to seek continued support from the Islamic Republic. This delegation met with senior officials such as Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, and Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. However, during their meeting with Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, they sought reassurance about Iran's comprehensive support. Soleimani stated that Iran's position on Palestine has been 'consistent and unwavering, both before and after the nuclear agreement' and emphasized, 'We loudly affirm that negotiations with the West are only about the nuclear issue and nothing else.' The commander of the Quds Force stressed, 'There is no other deal, and Dr. Zarif had a specific and clear mission, which was the nuclear agreement, and he was not given authority for any other issue.' 'We will not abandon the Palestinian cause,' Soleimani told the Hamas delegation, asserting that even if U.S. pressures and sanctions against Iran increase 'tenfold,' 'we will not abandon the Palestinian cause. This is why Congress insists on its anti-Iranian stance and considers Tehran a supporter of terrorism and Palestine.' Soleimani explained, 'Some say we support Palestine for our own interests, but what has been clear since the beginning of the revolution is that we have not been willing to negotiate or reach an understanding with the U.S. on the Palestinian issue.' Criticism of one of the Green Movement's protests and the slogans raised during it was another part of Soleimani's remarks. He stated that 'the Palestinian issue is a fundamental issue even within Iran' and added, 'A few years ago, they chanted 'Neither Gaza nor Lebanon; my life is for Iran.' I ask you, where are they now?' The commander of the Quds Force clarified, 'We have registered this in our political lexicon. Those who raise any slogans opposing our support for Palestine will not hold any political position and will not be at the forefront of the country's major decision-makers. Where could such a thing happen?' In 2009, on a day that the Islamic Republic designated as 'Quds Day,' thousands of protesters against the presidential election results and the subsequent crackdowns chanted 'Neither Gaza nor Lebanon; my life is for Iran.' This slogan has since faced angry reactions from leaders and senior officials of the Islamic Republic.