Javed Zarif, the key architect of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal, has once again resigned from his position as the country’s Vice President.
The state-run IRNA reported on Sunday that the resignation came just days after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei opposed discussions with the United States.
President Masoud Pezeshkian accepted Zarif’s resignation but has not yet commented on the matter.
Zarif’s resignation coincided with the Iranian Parliament’s dismissal of the Finance Minister through a no-confidence vote. However, semi-official news agency ISNA clarified that Zarif’s resignation was unrelated to the impeachment and that he had submitted his resignation before the vote.
In his resignation letter, Zarif mentioned his intention to serve Iran through teaching at a university.
Analysts believe that Zarif aimed to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Western nations by joining the Pezeshkian administration, similar to the 2015 agreement that former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018.
Last month, Khamenei ruled out negotiations with the U.S., calling it neither wise nor honorable.
On Sunday, President Pezeshkian expressed his willingness to negotiate with the U.S. but emphasized his respect for Khamenei’s decision.
Zarif has resigned multiple times before, including five times during former President Hassan Rouhani’s administration. He also resigned from his assistant role under Pezeshkian last August but returned as Vice President for Strategic Affairs within weeks.
In November, hardliners, including Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, opposed Zarif’s appointment, calling it illegal. Hardline lawmakers also resisted amending a law that prevents individuals with dual citizenship or foreign family members from holding sensitive government positions, a rule they believe applies to Zarif.