President Obama’s recent, secret letter to Iran drew criticism from former Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney, who called the Administration’s attempt to negotiate with a totalitarian regime bent on Israel’s destruction “ineffective and wrong.”

Speaking to some 700 participants at the inaugural Israeli American Council National Conference on Friday, Mitt Romney, the Republican politician who ran against President Barack Obama in the 2012 U.S. presidential elections, said he could not believe what he heard when told that Obama had recently sent a secret letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei – without informing Israel – urging Iran to reach a nuclear deal.

Legitimizing a Nation that Threatens the World

“I was frankly stunned that the President of the United States would write a letter of that nature, in effect legitimizing a nation and a leadership which is violating international norms and is threatening the world. I find it astonishing. You can talk about a president talking to other world leaders. But to suggest that somehow we could somehow work together is something that is so far beyond the pale I was speechless,” Romney was quoted by the Washington Times as saying.

He said Iran should not be treated as an international partner in any fashion: “The right kind of approach is to recognize Iran in the way we thought about South Africa during apartheid. We considered it a pariah. Their leaders were shunned, they were not invited to international bodies. We exerted moral sway. To somehow have communications with Iran’s supreme leader is, in my view, an enormous error.”

The White House confirmed that Obama had sent the letter to Khamenei.

Warmer Ties between the US and Iran

The information on Obama’s secret letter comes as frequent reports from Washington indicate that the U.S. Administration and Iran have secretly begun to collaborate on various mutual regional interests – particularly the fight against the Islamic State (IS or ISIS) terror group.

The Wall Street Journal, which reported on this warming of diplomatic ties, warns that this shift could drastically alter the balance of power in the region, alienating key U.S. allies such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who are central to the coalition fighting IS.

‘Ineffective and Wrong’ Foreign Policy

Aware of these international ramifications, Romney categorized Obama’s foreign policy as ineffective and wrong. “It is tempting to think that the president is simply inept in dealing with foreign affairs. The reality is, he does have a foreign policy,” Romney said, indicating his strong disagreement.

Romney at the Western Wall in Jerusalem in July 2012. (Photo: Flash90)

Romney elaborated on his view of the implications of Obama’s foreign policy shift, saying: “The president is weakening our military and distancing us from our allies – which weakens us. The president began by going into the Arab world and apologizing for America, and saying we were dictatorial, divisive, and that we were dismissive of other nations. And the remarkable thing is that he now is doing that very thing. But not to our enemies. To our friends. It turns American foreign policy on its head, and it’s one of the reasons, in my view, that you see bold actions by authoritarian regimes around the world. It leads bad people to think America can be pushed around.”

Such a shift is also raising the level of anxiety in Jerusalem. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly warned the West against making a deal with Iran that would allow the Islamic Republic to continue its nuclear agenda.

You Can Fight Back Against Iran!

The discussions between Iran and the West regarding Iran’s nuclear aspirations are at a crucial point. Israel fears that the Obama Administration will ease the sanctions on Iran to gain diplomatic points. We MUST ensure that Iran does not become nuclear.  To sign a petition demanding NOT to ease sanctions on Iran at Israel’s expense, click HERE.

Author: United with Israel Staff
(With Files from the Washington Times)