Wendy Sherman, Veteran U.S. Diplomat, to Retire

Wendy Sherman, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and veteran diplomat, announced that she will retire at the end of June after three decades in foreign policy. Ms. Sherman is the first woman to manage the Biden administration's diplomacy with China and negotiations with Russia to prevent Moscow's aggression against Ukraine. She was a senior member of the U.S. negotiating team with Iran during the Obama administration and played a significant role in achieving the JCPOA. Last month, she described Iran's increased uranium enrichment as 'ominous' at the 18th NATO annual meeting on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Following recent protests in Iran, Ms. Sherman met with major U.S. technology companies and tweeted: 'The continued violent repression of peaceful protesters in Iran is an affront to human rights.' She further stated, 'I urged them to use the public license known as 'D-Dow' to provide additional communication services and tools to the people of Iran.' U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken praised Wendy Sherman's role in breaking barriers for women, stating she worked on 'some of the toughest foreign policy challenges of our time.' In a statement, Mr. Blinken said, 'It is because of her leadership that our nation is safer and our partnerships are stronger.' In her retirement announcement to State Department staff, Wendy Sherman noted that her last term in office began in 2021 and was shaped by changing geopolitical dynamics, including the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, rising competition with China, and the war in Ukraine. At 73, Wendy Sherman has worked under three Democratic administrations and five U.S. Secretaries of State. As Deputy Secretary of State, she has visited 39 countries around the world. Wendy Sherman addressed technology companies: if you help Iranian protesters, you won't face problems. The U.S. Deputy Secretary of State described the surge in uranium enrichment in Iran as 'ominous.' The U.S. summoned the Israeli ambassador. The message from U.S. officials to the people of Iran; from deprioritizing the JCPOA to preparing facilities for the people.