Iran's Zarif was told to 'resign or get fired'
In a significant blow to Iran's newly elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, Javad Zarif, the influential deputy president for strategic affairs, has once again submitted his resignation.
This time, however, his resignation has fuelled speculations that Iran's top diplomat was forced to resign.
Although Zarif publicly announced his resignation, Pezeshkian has yet to accept it. The announcement came just hours after the impeachment in parliament of Abdolnaser Hemmati, the economy minister.
The simultaneous impeachment of Hemmati and Zarif’s resignation - two key figures in Pezeshkian’s administration - within a span of less than 24 hours has been met with widespread reactions in Iran.
Zarif, who served as Iran’s top diplomat from 2013 to 2021 under the moderate president Hassan Rouhani, played a pivotal role in Pezeshkian’s electoral campaign and was integral to his victory.
A highly respected figure, Zarif gained international recognition during the intensive negotiations leading to the 2015 nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
In a post on X, Zarif explained his decision to step down: "Yesterday, I was invited to meet with the esteemed head of the judiciary. He advised me, given the current state of the country, to return to academia to prevent further pressure on the government."
Zarif described his resignation as a result of being "pushed out" and lamented that, since the start of the new administration, he had endured “the most degrading insults, slander and threats” and had experienced “the most bitter period of my forty years in public service, even within the government itself.”
Since Pezeshkian's election, principlists - many of whom oppose nuclear negotiations with the US - have targeted Zarif, citing a law that prohibits individuals with children holding foreign passports from occupying certain government positions. This law was enacted in 2022 during Ebrahim Raisi’s administration.
Zarif has been under constant criticism for his children allegedly being dual Iranian-American citizens, as they were born in the United States when he was serving in Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York.
Amirhossein Sabati, a member of parliament representing Tehran, commented on Telegram: “After months of follow-ups and repeated warnings from MPs to the heads of the three branches of government, Mohammad Javad Zarif, the president’s unlawful deputy, was finally forced to resign.”
The Iranian government has recently proposed amendments to the law, however, conservative lawmakers - many of whom are affiliated with the ultra-conservative Paydari Front - dismissed the move as “offensive” and specifically tailored to benefit Zarif.
The debate has centered around different types of nationality, including "automatic nationality," granted by birth in countries with a jus soli (birthright citizenship) policy, and "acquired nationality", which results from an individual’s application and legal process.
Supporters of amending the law argue that Zarif’s children automatically received US nationality by birth, which, under current Iranian law, disqualifies him from holding a high-level government position.
Meanwhile, a source close to the government told Middle East Eye: "In a recent meeting of the heads of the branches of power, it was decided that Zarif should no longer remain in office."
"Pezeshkian says, 'I'm not saying it' and tells (Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni) Ejei to do the job. Ejei then instructs Zarif to 'resign'. Initially, Zarif responds, 'I won't resign. If they want me out, they must fire me.' But in the end, he is persuaded to step down."
Another source in the government told MEE that Zarif "was told to resign or get fired", and he ultimately agreed.
Hamid Rasai, a hardliner and one of Zarif's staunchest opponents, wrote: "Someone whose presence is illegal cannot resign; rather, after being informed of the charges, they should be dismissed."
Meanwhile, the second source revealed that three of Pezeshkian's deputies - including First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, Executive Vice President Mohammad Jafar Qaem-Panah and the Deputy President for Parliament Affairs Sharam Dabiri - were among Zarif's enemies in this dispute.
The source added that Dabiri had even suggested to some MPs that "the government does not support Zarif."
This was not Zarif’s first resignation over the controversial law. In August, he stepped down shortly after joining Pezeshkian’s administration without providing a reason, only to return after the president rejected his resignation.
Moderate conservative Farhikhtegan newspaper wrote, "The removal of these figures, who some critics consider pro-western thinkers within the government, leaves no room for criticism of the administration. This is because there would no longer be a reason for criticism, and, essentially, no one would be left to criticise except the president himself."
However, reformists believe this is all rooted in Pezeshkian’s policy of "consensus", which, they say, has led to the removal of reformists from the government and the embrace of hardliners.
Since coming to power, Pezeshkian has said that through a national consensus approach he seeks to persuade conservatives into accepting his policies, instead of clashing with them. Critics have however said that the president has gone too far with this approach, arguing that his government is rather bowing to conservative demands.
"If Pezeshkian continues with his policy of consensus - which some interpret as a form of political shareholding - the approach will become problematic," a reformist political activist told MEE.
"Radical factions will gradually advance with the goal of complete control over the government. They have shown that they are not satisfied with less and will demand total power. In this situation, the government will lose its essence and it will no longer be possible to consider its structure and decision-making based on moderation.
"On the other hand, the government's social capital will decrease, voters will become disillusioned with Pezeshkian, and even on a larger scale, public distrust will spread widely."
Abbas Abdi, a political analyst with close ties to the government, noted in a post on X that not only has there been no consensus with the Iranian people, but new individuals have neither joined nor trusted the movement or government. Furthermore, he added, the trust that existed in the first few months has significantly declined.
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