Iran Foreign Ministry Denies ‘False Speculations’ on Zarif’s Resignation

In a Tuesday statement, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said as the Iranian President’s chief of staff said earlier in the day, Zarif’s resignation has not been accepted.

Qassemi then slammed “certain circles” for attempting to reap political and factional gains from Zarif’s announcement, and described it as a totally unacceptable move.

Since taking office, Zarif has been doing his utmost to promote the authority, prestige and esteem of the Iranian foreign policy, Qassemi added.

“Therefore, any move to downgrade the priceless idea of strengthening and protecting our foreign policy to some emotional and excited behaviors and personalizing our country’s national and macro policies is unfair and runs counter to the sacred ideals of the Islamic Revolution and our religious ethics as well as our national interests and preferences,” the spokesman said.

Qassemi also rejected as baseless the reports by certain media outlets on possible mass resignation of a number of foreign ministry directors and ambassadors.

“As Mr. Zarif said, the Foreign Ministry and all its directors and ambassadors will continue their sensitive jobs strongly and seriously to press ahead Iran’s foreign policy and meet our national interests as well as security needs,” he stated.

With all in his power and relying on his deep knowledge and long experience in diplomacy and international affairs, Mr. Zarif has relentlessly attempted to promote the status of Iran’s foreign policy in bilateral, regional and international relations, Qassemi said.

It goes without saying that the wise and informed nation of Iran is well aware of his effective efforts and pays tribute to him, the spokesman added, according to the Foreign Ministry’s website.

His comments came after Zarif announced his resignation from the cabinet in a post on his Instagram account on Monday night.

“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.

The Iranian president's chief of staff, Mahmoud Vaezi, on Tuesday 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.

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

More than 150 Iranian lawmakers asked President Hassan Rouhani to turn down the foreign minister’s resignation.

In a letter on Tuesday, the parliamentarians have asked the president to encourage Zarif to remain in his post.

Born in 1960, Zarif lived in the United States from the age of 17 as a student in San Francisco and Denver, and subsequently as a diplomat to the United Nations in New York, where he served as Iranian ambassador from 2002 to 2007.

He was appointed minister of foreign affairs in August 2013 after Rouhani won the presidency.