A Subtle End
A subtle end to an action that took place hours after the introduction of the proposed cabinet by Pezhkian. I had repeatedly said that selecting the members of the government is the president’s right, and the steering council and committees are advisory bodies.
I am grateful to him for giving me the honor of participating in this new experience and courageous initiative.
I am not satisfied with the outcome of my work and I am ashamed that I could not fulfill my promise to bring the expert opinions of the committees and the presence of women, youth, and ethnic groups to fruition as I had pledged.
Of course, there are still some vice-presidential positions left, which I hope can somewhat make up for this shortcoming.
Some have considered me to be sensitive. I think over the past twelve years, I have shown more patience and resilience against unprecedented attacks than many of the claimants, but I am very sensitive to the perspectives and concerns of the people.
Zarif’s statements about the presence of women, youth, and ethnic groups occurred while Pezhkian had repeatedly emphasized during his debates on supporting the rights of all groups, including ethnicities, women, and youth.
The text published by Zarif, of course, also prompted reactions. Azar Mansouri, head of the Iranian Reform Front, wrote in a tweet: I was very saddened by the announcement of your resignation. You undertook many efforts in the elections and accompanying Dr. Pezhkian and the steering council, and certainly, your continued presence also has many advantages, especially for pursuing the people’s demands. Stay and continue.
Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, the Minister of Communications in Rouhani’s government and another strong supporter of Pezhkian during his election activities, also reacted to Zarif’s resignation, writing: I testify that he sacrificed himself and his family for Iran. He is a thorn in the side of the Zionists, and America sanctioned him to reduce his impact for Iran. Why should Iran deprive itself of his services with self-sanctioning?
Nevertheless, Zarif provided explanations about the published text less than 24 hours after his first letter. Explanations that seem to be a reaction to the reactions. Greetings to the honorable people of Iran. My message last night does not mean regret or despair from dear Dr. Pezhkian or opposition to realism, but rather a doubt in my usefulness in the strategic vice-presidency. Of course, some rejected by the people have turned my employment in sensitive positions into a pretext for pressure on the fourteenth government with a strange interpretation of the 1401 law.
I also withdrew from the strategic vice-presidency of the president last week through a letter to prevent any suspicion or excuse for obstruction in Dr. Pezhkian’s government.
He continued his explanations, which were published on the social network X, writing: Given some atmosphere creation, it is necessary to remind that 1. Despite the birth of my children about 40 years ago during my studies and not on a mission in America and the land-based laws of America for compulsory citizenship, by God’s grace, my wife, my children, and I are residents of dear Iran, and we do not own or even rent a single meter of housing outside of Iran.
I am also under two American sanctions under the leadership sanctions and one Canadian sanction, and my wife and I do not even have the possibility of tourist travel to the United States, Canada, and some other countries.
2. No supervisory body has opposed my vice-presidency. The honorable Dr. Pezhkian has insisted on my continuation with courage and frankness.
3. This excuse is more exploitable for others whose children have acquired dual citizenship and not compulsory, along with residency outside the country, than for me.
What caused last night’s report was doubt in my usefulness in the strategic vice-presidency, and that political excuse was not the reason for returning to the university and was only an additional reason. I still believe in everything I said about him during the elections.
With all my strength, I will serve you and him from the university for Iran, and I ask all patriotic and development-seeking Iranians to increase their support for him and not leave him and his government alone.
In the meantime, it seems that the president has not paid attention to this important issue that in the first round of the recent presidential elections, only 39.96% of the people participated, and what increased the participation in the second round and raised the participation statistics to over 40% was the fear of Saeed Jalili coming to power, a person who described his government as a continuation of the thirteenth government. However, Pezhkian, without regard to the demands and concerns of the people and the reasons for their trust in his promises, proposed some of his ministers from among the ministers of the thirteenth government, some of whom were identified as ineffective.
Also, among his proposed ministers, only the name of one woman is seen, and of course, there is no mention of ethnic and religious minorities in his proposed list, a point that Zarif subtly pointed out and considered the issue a source of shame before the nation.