Trump claims Sen. Murphy's meeting with Iran's Zarif violated federal law

President Trump slammed a recent meeting between Sen. Chris Murphy and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, and claimed the Connecticut Democrat violated federal law.

Mr. Trump on Wednesday alleged the meeting violated the Logan Act, which prohibits American citizens from conducting negotiations with a foreign government.

“This is why Iran is not making a deal. Must be dealt with strongly!” the president tweeted.

Mr. Murphy confirmed the meeting, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference last weekend, in a post on Medium Tuesday. He said his goal was to discuss Iranian forces in Iraq in the wake of the fatal U.S. strike on former Quds force leader Qassem Soleimani, American citizens being held prisoner in Iran, and the ongoing war in Yemen.

Mr. Murphy insisted that he does not conduct diplomacy on behalf of the U.S., but stressed that Congress is a co-equal branch of government “responsible along with the Executive for setting foreign policy.”

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[ 18 U.S. Code § 953. Private correspondence with foreign governments -- Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.]