Iranian media: Kerry has asked to visit Tehran
Earlier this month, The Cable broke the news that Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman John Kerry, D-MA, had pitched the idea of going to Tehran, in what would be the highest-level U.S. public visit in decades. The Wall Street Journal followed last week, confirming that Kerry suggested the idea and reporting that the White House ...
Earlier this month, The Cable broke the news that Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman John Kerry, D-MA, had pitched the idea of going to Tehran, in what would be the highest-level U.S. public visit in decades.
The Wall Street Journal followed last week, confirming that Kerry suggested the idea and reporting that the White House was not opposed to it. Kerry subsequently denied to The Cable that he had plans to go but didn’t deny that he had floated the idea.
Today, several Iranian news outlets are reporting that Kerry has officially submitted a request to visit Tehran. Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani and Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast are among the Iranian officials who have reportedly confirmed that.
Mehman-Parast said that the request had been referred to Iran’s Parliament, which was "exploring" the idea.
Spokespeople for Kerry didn’t respond to requests for comment on the matter.
Josh Rogin covers national security and foreign policy and writes the daily Web column The Cable. His column appears bi-weekly in the print edition of The Washington Post. He can be reached for comments or tips at josh.rogin@foreignpolicy.com.
Previously, Josh covered defense and foreign policy as a staff writer for Congressional Quarterly, writing extensively on Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantánamo Bay, U.S.-Asia relations, defense budgeting and appropriations, and the defense lobbying and contracting industries. Prior to that, he covered military modernization, cyber warfare, space, and missile defense for Federal Computer Week Magazine. He has also served as Pentagon Staff Reporter for the Asahi Shimbun, Japan's leading daily newspaper, in its Washington, D.C., bureau, where he reported on U.S.-Japan relations, Chinese military modernization, the North Korean nuclear crisis, and more.
A graduate of George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs, Josh lived in Yokohama, Japan, and studied at Tokyo's Sophia University. He speaks conversational Japanese and has reported from the region. He has also worked at the House International Relations Committee, the Embassy of Japan, and the Brookings Institution.
Josh's reporting has been featured on CNN, MSNBC, C-Span, CBS, ABC, NPR, WTOP, and several other outlets. He was a 2008-2009 National Press Foundation's Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellow, 2009 military reporting fellow with the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism and the 2011 recipient of the InterAction Award for Excellence in International Reporting. He hails from Philadelphia and lives in Washington, D.C. Twitter: @joshrogin
More from Foreign Policy
Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America
The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.
The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense
If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.
Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War
Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.
How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests
And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.
Sign up for Morning Brief
Foreign Policy’s flagship daily newsletter with what’s coming up around the world today. Delivered weekdays.
By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.
