Days after his resignation, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif remains in office, and signed two deals to expand cooperation with nearby Armenia. His resignation was rejected by President Hassan Rouhani.
The resignation effectively never happened, but it is still surrounded
in speculation, as many analysts believe it reflects the ongoing
internal dispute within Iran between the Reformists, which include Zarif and Rouhani, and more hardline factions.
This dispute is broad and touches on a lot of issues, but the biggest
split is through Zarif’s office. Rouhani is a supporter of rapprochement
with the West, and Zarif was a big part of making the P5+1 nuclear
deal. The hardliners opposed the deal, saying the US could not be
trusted.
With Zarif struggling to save the deal after the US dishonored it, he
and Rouhani are under growing pressure from the hardliners, and Zarif
may have thought he was protecting him by shouldering the blame.
Rouhani, however, says losing Zarif would be “against national
interests,” and rejected the resignation. Considerable domestic support
for Zarif during the controversy suggests that he and Rouhani may have
come out ahead on the matter, at least in the court of public opinion.
Iranian FM Javad Zarif Thanks Supporters, Will Remain in Post
Rouhani says losing Zarif would be 'against national interests'
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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