The Hill:

President Trump signed off this weekend on a proposal from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) for him to serve as a liaison to Iran to try to reduce skyrocketing tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Paul proposed sitting down with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during a golf outing with Trump this past weekend, four U.S. officials told Politico. The meeting’s goal would be to discuss with Zarif on the president’s behalf the potential to calm an escalating situation between the U.S. and Iran.
It is unclear if a meeting between Paul and Zarif is actually set. A U.S. official told The Hill only that "We’re aware of reports of a supposed meeting between a U.S. Senator and Zarif."

Zarif is in the U.S. this week for United Nations meetings and other events.

But the prospect of Paul, a staunch anti-war Republican, meeting with him reportedly rankled some administration officials who think his dovish strategy could impede the White House’s “maximum pressure” campaign.

Trump allowing Paul to move forward with trying to meet Zarif stands in contrast to his hard-line stance on Iran. The president withdrew the U.S. from the Obama-era nuclear pact in 2018 and has slapped stringent sanctions on Iran’s oil industry, metals sector, Revolutionary Guard and the supreme leader to maximize economic pressure.

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