Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has tapped conservative diplomat Hossein Amir-Abdollahian as his foreign minister, state media outlets reported on Wednesday. Following his expected approval by parliament, Amir-Abdollahian will replace Mohammad Javad Zarif, the US-educated architect of the nuclear deal who served in the role since 2013.
Reuters reports that Amir-Abdollahian, 56, is a staunch anti-Westerner with ties to Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps.