Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accused on Monday Israel of being behind the US assassination of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in January 2020.
"Trump was a mercenary of the Zionist Regime and all his actions were provoked by the Zionists," adding, "Of course, the previous US presidents were friends with the Zionists, but were not mercenaries."
"The martyrdom of General Soleimani was directed by the Zionists, even though Trump was the commander and killer," Rouhani said according to an official statement by the Iranian government.
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Speaking at a cabinet session Rouhani also spoke about the resumption of nuclear talks in Vienna, in which Iran wants to secure the lifting of crippling sanctions. He said that the leaking of a secret recording in which Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif criticized Soleimani for trying to undermine the 2015 accord, was timed to embarrass Iran.
"Stealing a recording and publishing it, and that why it has been published in this critical juncture is something that needs to be closely looked into," he said.
"This recording was published by those who are against Iran, the people of Iran and the interests of our country exactly at the time when we are making the best achievements in Vienna in order to sow discord in our country," he said.
Zarif commented on the leaked recording on Wednesday in a post and expressed remorse for his comments. "I am very sorry that a theoretical and confidential discussion on the need to have diplomacy and acts on the groundwork in lockstep has become an internal source of conflict," he said. "I didn't censor myself because that would have been a betrayal of our people."
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