State Dept. Spox: ‘Best Advice’ Kerry Could Give to Iran Is ‘Stop Supporting’ Terrorism Around the World

NAUERT Yeah so let ░░░░░░░░ let me start with ░░░░░░░░ I ve seen former ░░░░░░░░ Kerry do rounds on ░░░░░░░░ shows and talking with ░░░░░░░░ press in terms of ░░░░░░░░ and also radio I ░░░░░░░░ seen him brag about ░░░░░░░░ meetings that he has ░░░░░░░░ with the Iranian Government ░░░░░░░░ Iranian Government officials And ░░░░░░░░ ve also seen reports ░░░░░░░░ he is apparently providing ░░░░░░░░ to reports advice to ░░░░░░░░ Iranian Government I think ░░░░░░░░ the best advice that ░░░░░░░░ should be giving the ░░░░░░░░ Government is stop supporting ░░░░░░░░ groups around the world ░░░░░░░░ supporting Hezbollah We were ░░░░░░░░ talking about the Saudi ░░░░░░░░ coalition and activities that ░░░░░░░░ is undertaking in Yemen ░░░░░░░░ we see the Iranian ░░░░░░░░ offering help expertise money ░░░░░░░░ to the Houthi rebels ░░░░░░░░ Yemen that is causing ░░░░░░░░ much misery in that ░░░░░░░░ We see them meaning ░░░░░░░░ militias trying to kill ░░░░░░░░ S service members in ░░░░░░░░ like Iraq We see ░░░░░░░░ launching attacks on some ░░░░░░░░ our partners If anything ░░░░░░░░ should he should be ░░░░░░░░ on the Iranian Government ░░░░░░░░ stop spending money on ░░░░░░░░ this adventurism and terrorism ░░░░░░░░ the world and start ░░░░░░░░ their money on their ░░░░░░░░ people as we have ░░░░░░░░ so many Iranian people ░░░░░░░░ their serious concerns about ░░░░░░░░ kind of military adventurism ░░░░░░░░ Heather just on that ░░░░░░░░ Yeah REPORTER One of ░░░░░░░░ colleagues Assistant Secretary Singh ░░░░░░░░ on the Hill earlier ░░░░░░░░ and was asked a ░░░░░░░░ similar question about this ░░░░░░░░ Representative Zeldin And she ░░░░░░░░ in response to his ░░░░░░░░ which and his question ░░░░░░░░ that former Secretary Kerry ░░░░░░░░ going to do backdoor ░░░░░░░░ here to thwart the ░░░░░░░░ of this new administration ░░░░░░░░ said Assistant Secretary Singh ░░░░░░░░ It s unfortunate if ░░░░░░░░ from a past administration ░░░░░░░░ try to compromise the ░░░░░░░░ we are trying to ░░░░░░░░ in this administration And ░░░░░░░░ she said she didn ░░░░░░░░ have personal knowledge of ░░░░░░░░ meetings that Secretary Kerry ░░░░░░░░ talking former Secretary Kerry ░░░░░░░░ talking about but if ░░░░░░░░ is happening again she ░░░░░░░░ quote I would find ░░░░░░░░ very inappropriate Are those ░░░░░░░░ personal feelings about this ░░░░░░░░ is that the position ░░░░░░░░ this Secretary and the ░░░░░░░░ Department that MS NAUERT ░░░░░░░░ have not spoken to ░░░░░░░░ Secretary Singh She may ░░░░░░░░ in fact be on ░░░░░░░░ Hill at this hour ░░░░░░░░ I have not yet ░░░░░░░░ with her on some ░░░░░░░░ those remarks But I ░░░░░░░░ I just laid out ░░░░░░░░ that we would have ░░░░░░░░ offering advice to the ░░░░░░░░ Government If someone is ░░░░░░░░ to have conversations with ░░░░░░░░ Iranian Government let s ░░░░░░░░ them productive conversations Let ░░░░░░░░ make them about how ░░░░░░░░ President sees the activities ░░░░░░░░ the Iranian Government This ░░░░░░░░ no longer looks at ░░░░░░░░ Iranian Government just through ░░░░░░░░ narrow scope of the ░░░░░░░░ the nuclear deal We ░░░░░░░░ at the totality of ░░░░░░░░ s bad actions around ░░░░░░░░ world in fomenting terror ░░░░░░░░ causing so much misery ░░░░░░░░ the globe including misery ░░░░░░░░ their own country REPORTER ░░░░░░░░ Well I think the ░░░░░░░░ administration would disagree that ░░░░░░░░ only focused on the ░░░░░░░░ NAUERT Okay REPORTER But ░░░░░░░░ I m just trying ░░░░░░░░ find out whether or ░░░░░░░░ Secretary Pompeo who is ░░░░░░░░ current Secretary of State ░░░░░░░░ any problems or plans ░░░░░░░░ raise any concerns about ░░░░░░░░ with his predecessor former ░░░░░░░░ Kerry NAUERT I have ░░░░░░░░ asked him that question ░░░░░░░░ Okay NAUERT but I ░░░░░░░░ be sure to do ░░░░░░░░ certainly.”