Iran’s Vice President, Mohammad Javad Zarif, has resigned, leaving President Massud Pezeshkian’s cabinet just 11 days after his appointment.
“I am not satisfied with my work and regret that I have not been able to fulfill expectations,” the moderate politician stated on his X platform. Zarif hinted that disagreements over the selection of ministers for Pezeshkian’s new cabinet were the primary reason for his decision. He noted that at least seven of the 19 ministers nominated were not his first choice.
Zarif’s resignation marks the second major crisis for Pezeshkian since he took office at the end of July, following the killing of Palestinian militant leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
Zarif was a key figure in Pezeshkian’s presidential election campaign and, due to his popularity, played a significant role in securing Pezeshkian’s victory. After the election, Zarif and a group of experts were tasked with compiling a list of candidates for government posts who would implement the promised reforms. However, the list presented by Pezeshkian on Sunday reportedly did not align with the plans and promises of reform, leading to speculation that Iran’s hardline arch-conservative faction had imposed some of the ministers on Pezeshkian.
Zarif, who served as Iran’s chief diplomat between 2013 and 2021, was instrumental in negotiating the 2015 international nuclear agreement with six world powers. Pezeshkian had hoped that, with Zarif and a new team of diplomats, he could resume nuclear negotiations and work towards lifting the sanctions that are crippling Iran’s economy.
Source: dpa
