Qalibaf Describes Zarif's Appointment in Pezeshkian's Cabinet as 'Illegal'

The Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, deemed the appointment of Mohammad Javad Zarif as the strategic deputy of Masoud Pezeshkian 'illegal' just days after reports indicated that Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, had 'agreed' to 'reform the law on compulsory citizenship.' On Wednesday, December 7, Qalibaf responded to Hamid Rasai, a principlist member of parliament, stating: 'According to the law, this appointment is illegal, and God willing, the government will manage it; we, of course, as the parliament will pursue legal actions, and there is no doubt about that.' These remarks come amid tensions between the government and parliament regarding the use of Zarif in the cabinet, where Mehdi Fazeli, a member of Khamenei's office, stated on December 2 that the Supreme Leader had told Masoud Pezeshkian he agreed with the reform of the 'compulsory citizenship' law and requested this to be communicated to parliament. A few days prior, Majid Ansari, the deputy for legal affairs of the presidency, had mentioned that 'the prohibition of employing dual nationals in specific jobs deprives opportunities from the people,' echoing similar sentiments attributed to the Supreme Leader. None of these quotes have been denied so far. According to the 'compulsory citizenship' law, an individual holding a sensitive political position must not have citizenship of any country other than Iran, nor should their children. Iranian media reports indicate that Zarif's children hold American citizenship. This law was passed in 1401 (2022) by parliament and was communicated by former President Ebrahim Raisi. The deputy for legal affairs of the presidency announced on November 7 of this year that a bill to amend this law had been submitted to parliament. However, some principlist representatives, including Hamid Rasai, have repeatedly expressed their opposition to amending this law. Rasai implicitly stated on December 2 on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that the way for Zarif to remain in the strategic deputy position is for his children to renounce their American citizenship. He also called for the application of 'Article 234' of parliament regarding Zarif's status, which allows parliament members to proceed with impeachment in the absence of the minister or the cabinet. He remarked that the former foreign minister is 'laughing at parliament' and questioned why the judiciary and the parliament's leadership do not pursue Zarif's appointment and remove him. Meanwhile, other members of parliament criticized this approach, stating that Rasai and his like-minded colleagues have excessive sensitivity towards Zarif. Ahmad Beigdeli, a parliament member, remarked on Wednesday that discussions in parliament revolve solely around Zarif, suggesting that he should be 'expelled from the country' or 'executed' for the comfort of others. Another parliament member, Mohammad Mehdi Shahriari, emphasized the need to amend the law concerning employment in sensitive positions, noting that under this law, Zainab Soleimani, the daughter of the former commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, cannot work in sensitive jobs due to her husband's foreign (Lebanese) citizenship. Mohammad Javad Zarif, who played a significant role in Pezeshkian's presidential election victory, announced on August 21 on his Instagram page that he decided to resign from the strategic deputy position due to pressures related to his children's dual nationality. However, after images of Zarif meeting with members of the fourteenth government and Ali Khamenei were released, the former foreign minister announced on September 6 that he would continue his duties in the strategic deputy position of Masoud Pezeshkian's cabinet.