"Playing Poker": The Iranian Official Got Entangled with Khamenei's Fatwa

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei declared that Tehran has moved from a "chess" strategy to also include "poker" in negotiations with the US. The comparison brings to the forefront a fatwa by Supreme Leader Khamenei banning card games, even without gambling. Baqaei claimed that Iran did not start a war and that Washington is not committed to agreements.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei declared that Tehran has moved from a "chess" strategy to also include "poker" as part of a new diplomatic approach toward the United States. The comparison is noteworthy because it brings back to the headlines a fatwa by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, which prohibits card games even without gambling. Baqaei emphasized that Iran did not start a war, and therefore the Iranian government and people should not blame themselves for the continuation of the current situation. He claimed that Iran has reached understandings and arrangements more than once, but the American side violated all of them. As an example of American lack of commitment, Baqaei cited the US's treatment of Canada, its close ally, and argued that Americans sign negotiations "in pencil." Baqaei added that Tehran has done everything it could in the diplomatic channel to prevent war and secure its national interests, while combining diplomacy with military options.