Iran's foreign minister reportedly gave Rand Paul some ideas for resolving tensions

Rand Paul.
(Image credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) extended an invitation to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to meet with President Trump in the Oval Office last month, The New Yorker reports.

Trump reportedly granted Paul the leeway to make the offer, but Zarif, who was reportedly concerned the meeting would be little more than a photo opportunity, was unable to attend after running it by his superiors in Tehran, who apparently agreed with his reservations.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.