Growing Calls in Iran Asking Zarif to Draw Back from Resignation

By Staff, Agencies

More than 150 Iranian lawmakers asked President Hassan Rouhani to turn down Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s resignation, while the president's chief of staff has rejected reports that the president has accepted the top diplomat’s resignation.

In comments on Tuesday morning, rapporteur of the Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said a group of lawmakers have sent a letter to President Hassan Rouhani to voice support for Zarif.

The letter, signed by 150 parliamentarians, has asked the president to turn down Zarif’s resignation and encourage him to remain in his post.

Last night, Foreign Minister Zarif announced his resignation from the cabinet in a post on his Instagram account.

“Many thanks for the generosity of the dear and brave people of Iran and its authorities over the past 67 months. I sincerely apologize for the inability to continue serving and for all the shortcomings during my service. Be happy and worthy,” Zarif wrote on his Instagram page on Monday night.

Meanwhile, the Iranian president's chief of staff, Mahmoud Vaezi, has rejected media reports that the president has accepted Zarif’s resignation.

“The reports that the president has accepted Dr. Zarif’s resignation are strongly rejected,” Vaezi said in a post on his Twitter account.

Also, Chairman of the Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Heshmatollah Falahat Pishe said, “We are still unaware whether or not the president has accepted Mr. Zarif’s resignation.”