Hardliners’ Warnings to Pezeshkian
The hardliners’ warnings to Pezeshkian began during the 14th presidential election campaign, when Mohammad Javad Zarif joined Masoud Pezeshkian’s campaign team. The hardline conservatives launched attacks both in the media and in society. These attacks intensified when Pezeshkian introduced Zarif as the head of the 14th government’s strategic council for selecting proposed ministers. The attacks and threats increased, and only subsided slightly when Zarif’s letter of complaint and resignation regarding the list of ministers was published at the start of the 14th government.
Ultimately, however, Zarif’s return to the 14th government team and his appointment as the strategic deputy to the president reactivated this faction’s artillery against him and Pezeshkian even more than before.
This group used every excuse and platform to criticize Pezeshkian and Zarif. Nowadays, besides the issue of the JCPOA and the negotiating team’s decisions to revive it during Zarif’s tenure at the Foreign Ministry, they have also initiated discussions on his dual citizenship.
Although Zarif provided detailed explanations on the matter and stated that his vetting for the deputy position by various agencies was positive, following Israel’s assassinations, alongside jibes at the government, Zarif’s name was mentioned as an influential figure in what they deemed a passive response. After Iran’s missile response to Israel, and once that excuse was removed, they once again ignored the given responses and questioned the legality of Zarif’s appointment, threatening the government and the president.
An example is the recent remarks by Kamran Ghazanfari, a member of parliament and the Stability Front, who has a long history of making strange and radical statements. Previously, he accused Hassan Rouhani of providing information about the Ukrainian plane to the United States.
Ghazanfari now stated in an interview with Eghtesad 120 that when Mr. Pezeshkian knowingly breaks the law by appointing Mr. Zarif, whose two children have American citizenship, as the strategic deputy to the president, he is openly committing a crime. Members of parliament have repeatedly warned and cautioned that what he is doing is illegal.
Zarif also pretended to resign by posting a tweet, although there was no actual resignation, and he was acting. After the cabinet vote, he happily posted a message saying he had returned to his position.
He further added that the claim of resolving this issue in a meeting of the heads of government branches is false. The heads of government branches do not have the authority to take actions contrary to the law. In parliament, we warn Pezeshkian that if he does not quickly revoke this illegal appointment, we will file a complaint with the judiciary.
In that case, Pezeshkian will have to answer in court, and he certainly has no answer. He will be sentenced to 5 to 15 years of deprivation of social rights. If this happens, Mr. Pezeshkian will effectively be removed from the presidency.
Throughout these days, there have been reactions to this claim about Zarif. Now, regarding Ghazanfari’s remarks, Ahmad Zeidabadi, a writer and political analyst, has provided a comprehensive and thoughtful response to this representative and those seeking Zarif’s removal.
In a Telegram post titled ‘Hurry, There’s No Need for Divination,’ he wrote: I think Mr. Ghazanfari and his friends should stop hesitating and do this as soon as possible, because at least three problems will be solved. The first problem is that Pezeshkian will be saved from the agony of walking on the minefield of Pasteur and can spend the rest of his life peacefully drinking cool water in a cozy corner of a prison.
Secondly, citizens who voted for him in the recent election will be relieved from the psychological pressure of all the criticism, ridicule, and insults from those around them and can take a fresh breath.
Thirdly, as the crisis in the Middle East approaches its peak, many people are interested in seeing the government fully controlled by Mr. Ghazanfari and his friends to see what they have up their sleeves after all their loud slogans. Therefore, my recommendation is that they hurry in the task they have promised, as it is said that in good deeds, there is no need for delay or divination.