Iran's new leader Pezeshkian's right-hand man, Javad Zarif, has resigned.

The former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who is the Deputy Responsible for Strategic Affairs of Iran's new President, Ebrahim Raisi, announced his resignation.

Former Iranian Foreign Minister and Deputy Responsible for Strategic Affairs of President Ebrahim Raisi, Mohammad Javad Zarif, announced his resignation and stated that he will continue his academic studies in a social media post.

RESIGNED DUE TO DISSATISFACTION WITH THE CABINET

In his post, Zarif stated that he was not satisfied with the cabinet consisting of 19 people presented to the parliament by Raisi and expressed that it was not possible to fulfill the promises he made during the campaign under these conditions. Zarif, who stated that his suggestions and the sensitivity of the people were not taken into account in the cabinet list, said, "Raisi presented the names of the ministers of the 14th term government to the parliament, I wish them all success. I am not satisfied with the result of my work and I apologize to the Iranian people for not being able to adjust the expert opinion of the committees, the presence of women, young people, and ethnic groups correctly as I promised. However, it was our first experience and undoubtedly it will improve in the future. I apologize to the Iranian people for not being able to follow the developments in domestic politics well."

ACCUSED OF BEING "SUBMISSIVE" AGAINST THE US

Zarif, known as the "smiling diplomat" in Iran, served as the Foreign Minister between 2013 and 2021 and stood out as the architect of the nuclear agreement signed between the US and the 5+1 countries in 2015. Zarif, known for his efforts to improve relations with the West, lift sanctions, and his pro-negotiation attitude, being included in President Raisi's government has caused criticism in the conservative camp and he has been accused of being "submissive" against the US.

CONFIDENCE VOTE WILL BE HELD FOR THE NEW CABINET

Iranian President Raisi presented his cabinet consisting of 19 names to the parliament to receive a vote of confidence. In Raisi's cabinet list, Abbas Araghchi, who served as the Deputy Foreign Minister and the chief negotiator of nuclear agreements during the presidency of former President Hassan Rouhani, was nominated for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For the Ministry of Interior, Brigadier General Iskandar Momeni, who previously served as the Secretary-General of the Drug Control Headquarters and has a military background as a commander of the Revolutionary Guards, was included. It is noteworthy that 3 ministers from the cabinet of former President Ibrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash, are also included in the list. In the parliament, which is mostly composed of conservative members of parliament, a confidence vote is expected to be held for Raisi's cabinet list within a week.