Iran’s Former Diplomat Withdraws Resignation as Vice President for Strategic Affairs

Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who previously resigned from the post of Vice President for Strategic Affairs after just 10 days in office, has returned to the position.

Zarif announced his departure on August 12, citing disagreements with President Masoud Pezeshkian over the selection of the new cabinet members.

However, after a recent government meeting and consultations with the President, Zarif decided to return to the office of vice presidents and oversee strategic matters.

“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,” Zarif wrote in an X post on Tuesday.

The announcement followed the government members’ initial meeting with the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Tuesday.

“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,” Zarif said in the social media post.

The 64-year-old Javad Zarif was key to President Pezeshkian's election campaign as his top aide earlier this summer and was seen as one of the main architects behind the new government's foreign policy strategy.

Zarif headed the Foreign Ministry of Iran from 2013 to 2021, during the tenure of reformist President Hassan Rouhani. He led negotiations on the "nuclear deal" achieving the signing of the landmark 2015 Vienna agreement on Iran's nuclear program. He is known for his reputation as a proponent of easing confrontations with the West.

As part of the 2015 agreement, known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA, Tehran consented to limit its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions, which had heavily affected Iran's oil exports and banking sector.

In 2018, former US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal from the JCPOA with Iran and the reintroduction of sanctions.

He criticized the deal, calling it "one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into," arguing that it did not safeguard America’s national security interests.

The renewed sanctions focused on key areas of Iran’s economy, including the energy, petrochemical, and financial sectors.

Meanwhile, in a meeting with Pezeshkian’s administration on Tuesday, Iran's Supreme Leader signaled Tehran’s intentions to renew negotiations with the United States regarding the country's swiftly advancing nuclear program.

He set strict boundaries for any discussions under the reformist administration of President Pezeshkian and reiterated his caution that Washington should not be trusted.

“This does not mean that we cannot interact with the same enemy in certain situations,” Khamenei stated, according to a transcript on his official website. “There is no harm in that, but do not place your hopes in them.”

The US State Department told The Associated Press that Washington would “judge Iran’s leadership by their actions, not their words”.

“We have consistently stated that we ultimately view diplomacy as the best means to achieve an effective, lasting solution regarding Iran’s nuclear program,” the department said.