Zarif Says He Resigned 'Upon Recommendation' of Mohseni Eje'i

Javad Zarif, whose role as 'Strategic Deputy' to the President of the Islamic Republic has attracted much controversy in recent months, announced that he resigned from this position following the 'recommendation of the Head of the Judiciary' to step down. Yesterday afternoon, on a day when the Minister of Economy was also impeached by the Islamic Consultative Assembly, official news agencies of the Islamic Republic reported Zarif's resignation. Zarif confirmed the resignation on social media, stating that he visited the Head of the Judiciary at his invitation, and Mohseni Eje'i advised him to 'return to the university,' to which Zarif 'immediately' agreed. The newspaper 'Etemad,' owned by an individual who currently serves as the 'Head of the Government Information Council,' quoted a person identified as a 'principlist media activist' saying: 'A senior official in a meeting told the President to tell Zarif that he is free to leave the government; the President said you tell him yourself; the relevant official wanted Zarif and said according to the law, you can no longer be the Deputy of the President and should resign.' This narrative indicates that Massoud Pezeshkian, who previously did not accept Zarif's resignation a few months ago and insisted on his continued activity in the government, did not see himself capable of conveying the 'decision of judicial officials' to his subordinates. In recent months, Zarif has been embroiled in disputes within the government due to his children holding dual citizenship. Iranian media have reported that based on the law 'on the appointment of individuals in sensitive positions,' which prohibits the appointment of individuals whose family members hold dual citizenship, 'at least five senior government officials' must also bid farewell to their positions. Despite the Pezeshkian administration having submitted a bill to amend this law to the parliament months ago, reactions suggest that the parliament is unlikely to make changes to the current law. Zarif's positions over the years have consistently drawn criticism from many citizens, who have described him as the 'chief whitewasher.' His statements on issues such as justifying the downing of the Ukrainian plane by IRGC missiles, denying government restrictions on mandatory hijab, concealing human rights violations in the Islamic Republic, and distorting events in Iran on the international stage in the name of 'defending the regime' have led many citizens to label him 'brazen' and criticize his stances against the people. His remarks at a recent conference in Davos were among the last examples that provoked widespread reactions. Mark Wallace, head of the 'United Against a Nuclear Iran' group, described Mohammad Javad Zarif as 'Hitler's Nazi Goebbels' and condemned his statements at the Davos conference in an exclusive interview with Voice of America on Wednesday, January 23, 1403. Wallace questioned Zarif's remarks at the global Davos conference, stating: 'Wherever Zarif appears on behalf of the Iranian regime, it means the regime has resorted to propaganda and is in need of lying and seeking a deal.' He added: 'Zarif is a very large actor and liar, just like that Nazi figure responsible for propaganda for Hitler. He falsely presents the regime's inhumane behavior towards the Iranian people to the world and with these lies aims to sow discord among American politicians and convince them to negotiate with the Islamic Republic.' Zarif, the former Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic with a background in studying in the United States and fluency in English, claimed in an interview with Fareed Zakaria, a CNN host, that: 'If you walk the streets of Tehran, you will see that some women are without hijab, and despite the illegality of this action, the government has decided not to pressure women.' Zarif's claims were published at a time when the Islamic Republic of Iran is under intense scrutiny from public opinion and international organizations due to widespread suppression of internal protests, especially following the death of Mahsa Amini. Criticism of Zarif's presence in Davos and the repetition of his usual claims, unanswered questions from Voice of America reporters to Zarif upon leaving Pezeshkian's hotel, a Swedish media report on Roozbeh Parsi's connections with Islamic Republic officials, and reactions to Zarif's presence in Davos; users: he is a symbol of the regime's 'brazen' behavior. The appointment of Javad Zarif as 'Strategic Deputy' of Pezeshkian; users: 'the great whitewasher' responsible for 'cleaning up the regime's messes.'