Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, renowned for his role in brokering the 2015 nuclear agreement, has stepped down from his position as vice president, state media reported on Monday.
According to Iran’s official news agency IRNA, Zarif submitted his resignation to President Masoud Pezeshkian, though the president has yet to formally respond. The reason for his departure was not explicitly detailed in the report.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Zarif revealed that he and his family had endured “horrific insults, slander, and threats” during his decades of public service. “I have gone through the most bitter period of my 40-year career,” he wrote, adding that Iran’s judiciary chief advised him to step down to ease pressure on the administration. “I accepted immediately,” Zarif stated.
Pezeshkian, who took office in July, had appointed Zarif as vice president for strategic affairs on August 1. However, Zarif initially resigned within two weeks before briefly returning to the role later that month.
Serving as Iran’s foreign minister from 2013 to 2021 under President Hassan Rouhani, Zarif was a key figure in the negotiations that led to the landmark Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. The agreement, which sought to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, was derailed in 2018 when then-U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States and reinstated harsh economic sanctions on Tehran.
Zarif’s departure from the vice presidency marks yet another twist in his turbulent political career, raising questions about the internal pressures within Iran’s leadership.