TEHRAN: Iran’s foreign ministry downplayed on Monday a leaked audiotape of Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif in which he said the military played too strong a role in diplomacy, saying it reflected his personal opinions. Foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said Zarif’s comments in the three-hour tape were "confidential" and should not have been released. "What was published was not an interview with the media," Khatibzadeh told reporters in Tehran.
