TEHRAN – Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was recently appointed vice president for strategic affairs, resigned from his role on Sunday, just hours after ministerial nominees were presented to parliament for approval.

He expressed gratitude to the president for the opportunity to be part of this new initiative and acknowledged that over 1,000 candidates had been evaluated by committees and the steering council. 

However, Zarif quickly noted his dissatisfaction with the results, stating he was unable to effectively incorporate the expert opinions of the committees or meet his promises to include women, youth, and ethnic groups as he had pledged.

He reaffirmed his support for Masoud Pezeshkian and clarified that his resignation should not be interpreted as regret over his participation in the presidential campaign or his work with the new president.

Zarif reiterated his commitment to supporting the president, emphasized his belief in the campaign statements about Pezeshkian, and announced that he would resume his role as a university professor. He urged all Iranians to support the new administration and not abandon it. 

He concluded by stating that he is ending his involvement in domestic politics and returning to academia.