Just 10 days after his appointment, Mohammad Javad Zarif announced his resignation as the Iranian president's assistant for strategic affairs in protest of the list of ministers submitted by President Masoud Bezzeshkian to the parliament. Zarif stated that this proposed government does not represent minorities, women, or youth. He added in a tweet on "X," that among the nineteen ministers presented that day, three were initial candidates, six were second or third candidates, and one was a fifth candidate nominated by committees or the advisory council.
Zarif expressed his gratitude for being given the honor to participate in this new experience and bold initiative. He noted that he had repeatedly stated that the selection of government members is the right of the president, and that the advisory council and committees are advisory bodies.
In his lengthy tweet, Zarif thanked the members of the committees and the advisory council, saying, "I thank my friends in the committees and advisory council who worked hard day and night for four weeks, studying more than a thousand candidates to present the results to the esteemed president, but I am not satisfied with the outcome of my work, and I feel embarrassed because I could not achieve the technical assessments of the committees and represent women, youth, and minorities as I promised. There are still some positions remaining in the presidency, and I hope this deficiency can be partially compensated."
Zarif concluded that this was his first experience filled with shortcomings, but he believes it will certainly improve in the future. However, due to other issues, he decided to return to work at the university, apologizing to the great people of Iran for his inability to follow up on matters in the corridors of domestic politics.
He referred to some who described him as suffering from "hypersensitivity," stating, "I believe that over the past twelve years, I have shown patience and resilience against unprecedented attacks more than many claimants, but I am very sensitive to the concerns and worries of the people."
President Masoud Bezzeshkian appointed Mohammad Javad Zarif as the deputy president for strategic affairs at the beginning of August 2024 and entrusted him with the responsibility of the presidential strategic research center. Zarif has held various international and local positions, including serving as an adviser and senior adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Foreign Minister for legal and international affairs, being a prominent member of the Dialogue of Civilizations Initiative, chairing the UN Disarmament Committee in New York, and engaging significantly in global governance, as well as being Deputy for International Affairs at Islamic Azad University and previously serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic.
