ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Javad Zarif, Iran’s vice president for strategic affairs, announced on Monday that he is stepping down from his position after advice from Iran’s judiciary head.
“Yesterday, at the invitation of the honorable head of the judiciary [Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei], I went to meet with him. He, referring to the country's situation, advised that to prevent further pressure on the government, I should return to the university [teaching]. I also immediately accepted, as I have always wished to be a help, not a burden,” Zarif said in a post on X.
His resignation came a day after the dismissal of the finance minister following a vote of no confidence in parliament.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s cabinet has faced heavy criticism since its beginning, primarily from conservatives who oppose its agenda.
“With deep gratitude to him for relieving me of the burden of responsibility before God and the people, I hope that with my departure, the excuses for obstruction against the will of the people and the success of the government will be removed,” Zarif added.
He also stressed his support for President Pezeshkian.
On Sunday, Pezeshkian emphasized that the blame for Iran’s challenges should not be placed on one or a few individuals, in defense of the removed finance minister.
In his resignation post, Zarif also noted that he has remained silent “to prevent the interests of the country from being damaged by a flood of lies and deceptions.”
In late January, Zarif faced criticism at home after he told an American journalist in Switzerland that enforcing a new hijab law was not part of Pezeshkian’s agenda. In December, the parliament’s security committee published a letter calling for his resignation because he has family members with American citizenship.
Zarif previously served as foreign minister in reformist president Hassan Rouhani’s cabinet and took part in negotiating the 2015 Iran nuclear deal with world powers. A seasoned diplomat, he helped open Iran up to the West.
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