Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced on Tuesday he will return to his new post as Iranian vice president for strategic affairs.
In a post on his X page, Zarif said, “My colleagues and I in the steering council and committees take pride in the fact that nearly 70% of the ministers and vice presidents, along with numerous deputy ministers and organizations, stem from expert recommendations derived from this transparent and inclusive process.”
He added, “Following the thoughtful follow-ups and consultations led by the president, along with his written directive, I am committed to resuming my responsibilities in the Strategic Vice Presidency, with faith in God and the support of our great nation.”
On August 11, Zarif announced his resignation as Iranian vice president for strategic affairs and head of the Center for Strategic Studies, only hours after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian presented his newly proposed 19-member cabinet to Parliament.
Zarif had served as the country's top diplomat for eight years under president Hassan Rouhani.
The new VP became known on the international stage during the lengthy negotiations for the 2015 accord formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
After taking oath of office before the Iranian parliament, Masoud Pezeshkian appointed Zarif as his deputy for strategic affairs and the chief of the Iranian Presidential Center for Strategic Studies.
Days later, Zarif announced he had resigned from his new post as vice president. Zarif cited several reasons for his resignation, most notably his disappointment with the cabinet line-up after only 10 of the 19 ministerial nominees came out of lists presented to Pezeshkian by the steering committee.
“I am ashamed that I could not implement, in a decent way, the expert opinion of the committees (responsible for selecting candidates) and achieve the inclusion of women, youth and ethnic groups, as I had promised,” he said.
Zarif also told the Didban Iran website, “My message... is not a sign of regret or disappointment with dear Dr. Pezeshkian or opposition to realism; rather it means doubting my usefulness as a vice president for strategic affairs,” noting he would return to academia and focus less on Iran's domestic politics.
He said that he was being used by some to put pressure on the new president.
“To avoid any suspicions or excuses for disrupting the work of the government... I resigned from the position of vice president for strategic affairs last week,” Zarif had said on X.
