Report: President Obama Sent Secret Letter to Iran Regarding Islamic State
A recent media report indicates that President Barack Obama sent a secret letter to Iran earlier in October, explaining to the Middle Eastern country why an allegiance on defeating the Islamic State would be mutually beneficial.
The report by the Wall Street Journal claims that the letter from Obama to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was sent in mid-October, and reportedly suggests that a deal on fighting the Islamic State could be connected to a deal regarding the country's nuclear weapons program.
"Mr. Obama stressed to Mr. Khamenei that any cooperation on Islamic State was largely contingent on Iran reaching a comprehensive agreement with global powers on the future of Tehran's nuclear program by a Nov. 24 diplomatic deadline," the Journal, which sites numerous anonymous sources linked to the Obama administration, reports.
The letter goes on to say that while the Obama administration has not commented officially on the alleged letter, "Administration officials didn't deny the letter's existence when questioned by foreign diplomats in recent days."
According to USA Today, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest refused to comment on the alleged letter during a press conference Thursday, saying that he was not in a position to comment on the Commander-in-Chief's "private correspondences."
"I can tell you that the policy that the president and his administration have articulated about Iran remains unchanged," Earnest added.
According to the BBC, Republic Speaker of the House John Boehner said the U.S. should be wary of trusting Iran's leaders in a fight against the Islamic State.
