In a surprise move announced on Instagram, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has tendered his resignation. Exactly what he is resigning isn’t entirely clear, but in the statement he apologized for his shortcomings.
Zarif had been well-accepted internationally since he took office in 2013, and was at the center of negotiating the P5+1 nuclear deal. There had been no apparent reports that his resignation was coming.
President Rouhani’s office responded to the resignation early by saying only that they were “aware” of it. They’ve subsequently said that President Rouhani has not accepted the resignation. It’s not clear if that totally precludes Zarif leaving, though it is clear he is one of Rouhani’s most valued cabinet members.
Zarif’s mention of “shortcomings and flaws” may suggest he’d fallen out of favor with someone within the government, but so far there is no indication who that might be. As a key negotiator in the nuclear deal, Zarif would’ve been the logical choice to continue defending it internationally in the face of US opposition.
He said to Entekhab news agency “After watching these photos, the world doesn’t accept Zarif as foreign minister”
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-assad/syrias-assad-meets-khamenei-in-first-iran-visit-since-war-began-idUSKCN1QE24G
Zarif is one of the good guys. There aren’t enough of them left. I hope he changes his mind.
If accepted, his resignation would be a true loss to the world. We certainly won’t be better off without his razor sharp clarity and powerful voice. I could only hope that he one day becomes president. The man is a titan among statesmen. He had the wherewithal to walk into Brookings and have them applauding him. A genuine intellect of the highest caliber and a lion in defense of Iran.
Edit: Here he is knocking home run after home run outta the park at the recent Munich Security Conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLDXrAXRZdc
Those who want the deal have failed to defend it. They allow it to be defied, and for Iran to get nothing from it.
So now the Iranian side to the deal is losing in its own politics. Of course.
If you won’t prevent war, you get war. The warmongers never let up.
Iran got zilch from the deal.
Actually Iran got quite a bit from the deal. Thing is, it was stuff they shouldn’t have had to make the deal to get. For example, the return of some funds stolen 30-odd years ago by the US government. And access to European markets, etc. And of course, the US is doing its best to claw that stuff back.
No argument from me on that.
My top of the head theory? He got caught stealing too much money or the bribes have not been adequately shared with others. His mea culpa is for public consumption when the word gets out. Of course this will probably all go away with a bit of payola spread around.