Iran's Zarif returns to work after Rouhani rejects resignation
Mohammad Javad Zarif has resumed work as Iran's top diplomat after President Hassan Rouhani rejected his abrupt resignation, though the debate continues over what forced the foreign minister to bid farewell in the first place.
In an official letter made public early in the morning of Feb. 27, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani put an end to speculation, rejecting the abrupt resignation by his Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
The much anticipated letter addressed Zarif's complaints about his ministry's "integrity and credibility" in running Iran's foreign affairs. Rouhani recognized the veteran politician's concerns, stressing that all state institutions must work in "full coordination" with the Foreign Ministry for diplomatic activities.
"I do not accept it," Rouhani said about Zarif's resignation, which he found against Iran's "interests." The president said he saw himself in the same boat with the foreign minister as both face domestic pressure, but expressed confidence that "we will pass through this tough stage." The best proof of Zarif's success, according to Rouhani, was that Iran's "sworn enemies" such as "the Zionist regime" had celebrated his resignation, referencing a tweet by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Within an hour of the letter's release to the media, pictures went viral of a smiling Zarif sharing an umbrella with Rouhani as the two waited to welcome a visiting Armenian delegation led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Tehran's Sa'dabad Palace.
