TEHRAN: Iran’s former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has resigned as vice president, state media reported Monday.
President Masoud Pezeshkian received Zarif’s resignation letter but has not yet responded, according to the official IRNA news agency.
In a post on X, Zarif said he faced “horrible insults, slander, and threats” against himself and his family. He described this period as the “most bitter” of his 40-year service.
He added that the head of the judiciary advised him to resign to ease pressure on the government. Zarif accepted immediately.
Pezeshkian appointed Zarif as vice president for strategic affairs on August 1. Zarif resigned within two weeks but later returned to the post.
From 2013 to 2021, Zarif served as Iran’s foreign minister under President Hassan Rouhani.
He played a key role in negotiating the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Also Read: Russian national pays 20 million to hunt Markhor in Chitral
Zarif was a supporter of Masoud Peshkeshian in the last year’s presidential election. He played a key role in garnering support from reformists and moderates for the incumbent president.
In 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal and reimposed harsh sanctions on Iran.
