Pompeo slams Iran news: 'When I was briefing Trump, Kerry was briefing Zarif'

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Pompeo: While I was briefing Trump, Kerry was briefing Iran

Former secretary of state says John Kerry has 'an awful lot of explaining to do' on 'Hannity'

While Mike Pompeo was secretary of state and advising Donald Trump, Biden climate czar and former Secretary of State John Kerry was acting in the same role – except he was advising Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Pompeo told "Hannity" Tuesday.

Kerry, who served as secretary of state during the Obama administration, reportedly advised Zarif of Israeli covert operations, something that host Sean Hannity noted top Republicans like Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah and Daniel Sullivan of Alaska summarily condemned.

"Remember the architect of this idiotic [Iran nuclear] deal has been trying to appease Iran for over a decade, all while vilifying our top ally in the Middle East, Israel, at every turn and as one article in The New York Post entitled 'John Kerry is skirting the line of treason with Iran'," Hannity said.

Before introducing Pompeo, the host pointed to the 1971 recordings of Kerry, a Vietnam War veteran, testifying before the U.S. Senate about alleged war crimes committed by his fellow service members. 

Kerry at one point compared them to 13th century Mongol emperor Genghis Khan, Hannity noted.

Pompeo then told Hannity that if the reporting on Kerry's conversations with Zarif is true, the Biden administration official must speak publicly and frankly with the American people:

"Looks like from this reporting it's confirmed what we already believed, which is when I was briefing President Trump, Kerry was briefing Zarif on intelligence that related to Israeli operations," he said.

"I hope that's not true. John Kerry needs to come forward and speak to the American people and explain to them why he was meeting with Zarif."

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Pompeo further noted Kerry previously admitted to being in contact with Zarif during the Trump administration.

"We believe he was absolutely telling the Iranians 'hang on, this pressure campaign, the power that is being exerted by America against you, it'll be over, [Biden] will win this election, it'll be four years you can hang in there, don't for a minute negotiate with the Trump team.' So he has an awful lot of explaining to do."

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"[T]here's no reason to think that he wasn't telling us he was truly surprised he did not know about the Israeli operations."

Hannity added that Kerry apparently committed the same offense that Democrats and the mainstream media disparaged retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn for when he communicated with a Russian diplomat prior to Trump being inaugurated.