Following a sharp warning from the U.S. State Department over his meeting with the military envoy of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the announced military cooperation with that country, Zukan Helez has issued a statement of justification and an apology to the American administration.
Deputy Minister of Defense in the Council of Ministers, Aleksandar Goganović, stated that the damage has already been done and that he is personally ready to travel to Washington in an effort to repair the damaged relations with the United States.
Notably, since the departure of Ambassador Michael Murphy, the U.S. Embassy has not reacted even to actions by Republika Srpska’s leadership—but they have responded to Zukan Helez, which, according to journalist Zoran Krešić from Mostar, shows that the U.S. has not given up on Bosnia and Herzegovina but is now focused on security issues rather than internal politics.
“He’s covered himself in ashes,” Krešić said, referring to Helez’s public expression of regret and his humble request for forgiveness from the Americans regarding military cooperation with Iran.
In vain—representatives of the U.S. Embassy, EUFOR, and even Christian Schmidt were absent from the Eid reception, which some interpret as a message to Helez that his announcement of cooperation with a state seen as a sponsor of terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hezbollah, or the Houthis had gone too far.
“The damage has unfortunately been done, and it will be very difficult to undo. It’s well known that Iran is a leading country in drone production, and Helez has long been speaking about drone development but refuses to reveal who is manufacturing them or who is involved. I sincerely hope that my colleague Helez is not involved in all of this, because if he is, U.S. sanctions will be the least of his problems—he could face prosecution,” said Goganović.
In his repentant statement, Zukan Helez attempted to mislead the public, claiming that the Iranians offered him military cooperation—not the other way around—and that he declined due to Iran’s strained relations with the United States.
However, the official statement from May 21, following the meeting with the Iranian delegation, clearly says that Helez expressed belief in military cooperation between the two countries, which was confirmed by the Iranian military representative.
“Iran and BiH can cooperate in the development of military industry, taking into account all political circumstances and the state structure of BiH,” reads the statement issued by the Ministry of Defense of BiH.
Journalist Zoran Krešić, who first reported that the U.S. was planning to sanction Zukan Helez, stated that Helez’s apology to the Americans, followed by admission of contact with Iran, reflects the disoriented nature of Sarajevo’s political leadership, particularly the Troika coalition.
“Even though Iran was a wartime sponsor of the so-called Army of BiH, Helez has no right to drag the entire country into an adventure that damages everyone in BiH.”
“What he did with this escapade involving the Iranian embassy clearly indicates a belief that the world powers no longer care about BiH. Fortunately, they still do. The U.S. reacted precisely because of this reckless maneuver and the highly irresponsible actions of Mr. Helez,” Krešić stated.
Instead of apologies, Zukan Helez should finally start acting in accordance with the Law on Defense and remember that the Ministry of Defense of BiH is not a Bosniak ministry, but a joint one, said Aleksandar Goganović. He also refuted Helez’s claims that the delegation at the meeting with Iran was multiethnic, stating that there were no Serb representatives present.
Source: RTRS
