Iran’s Zarif, face of 2015 N-deal, resigns

TEHRAN: Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was the lead negotiator in a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with major world powers, has abruptly tendered his resignation, although there was no sign on Tuesday President Hassan Rouhani had accepted it.

Zarif offered an apology for his “shortcomings” in an unexpected message on Instagram on Monday, with prominent members of Parliament calling for Rouhani not to accept the resignation.

Zarif, 59, has served as Rouhani’s foreign minister since August 2013 and has been under constant pressure from hardliners who opposed his policy of detente with the West.

“I apologise for my inability to continue serving and for all the shortcomings during my term in office,” Zarif posted.

The 59-year-old’s mastery of both the English language and social media made him a formidable player on the diplomatic stage.

“Zarif is gone. Good riddance,” said Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. He was a bitter opponent of the 2015 nuclear deal Zarif negotiated with the US and threw his own lobbying powers into a campaign to persuade Donald Trump to abandon it last May.

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo tweeted, “Either way, he and @Hassanrouhani are just front men for a corrupt religious mafia.”

Zarif’s move came hours after a surprise visit to Tehran by Syrian President Bashar al-assad, who held talks with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on US troop pullout from Syria and Turkey’s future role in the war-torn country.