-Analysis-
BEIRUT — Supporters of Iran’s most recognizable diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif welcomed his return to a key government position as the president’s deputy for strategic affairs.
His recent resignation gave the impression that the “flexible minds” — like Zarif — that Iran needs in this politically, economically and diplomatically difficult time no longer have a seat in the new government of President Masoud Pezeshkian.
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His 11-day absence from the government exposed the role of religious conservatives in attempts to push out Zarif. It is their view that the political foundations that Pezeshkian had established with the help of Zarif to build a new Iranian diplomacy constitute an existential threat to their project.
The 64-year-old’s return does not guarantee his project’s survival. It is expected that the radicals will double their efforts to destroy him and exclude all figures consistent with his proposals. If they don’t manage to destroy him, Zarif could see his importance minimized and disrupted.
The battle is still open
Zarif is a unique provocation to the conservative movement, both moderate and extremist, due to his experience in international relations that produced the 2015 nuclear deal, and his eight years of wise management as Foreign Minister during the era of former President Hassan Rouhani.
Zarif once said that he prefers the language of “diplomacy” to the language of “the field,” in a critical reference to the role of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated in Baghdad.
He is also a dynamic and unconventional politician on the domestic level, with his relatively warm relationship with the younger generations, women’s groups, and minorities, and his closeness to civil society, academia, professionals, and the cultural environment.
A painful slap
The hardliners view Zarif’s presence in the government as an embarrassment, and a painful slap to their movement — and his return is even more painful. Still Pezeshkian affirmed that his government is a national unity government and that he doesn’t seek to sideline or exclude any current from the political scene.
the establishment of a national dialogue is a de facto marginalization of the hardliners.
However, any moderate policy, open political practice or the establishment of a national dialogue is a de facto exclusion and marginalization of the hardliners, which could eventually result in their disappearance over time.
Zarif’s supporters see his presence in the government alongside Pezeshkian as an attractive factor to restore Iranians’ engagement with political affairs. He is an internationally influential and a trusted figure in diplomatic circles, and his presence in international forums constitutes an added value of credibility for Iran.
Zarif’s role was essential in Pezeshkian’s victory, mobilizing some of the groups that had withdrawn from the political scene as the hardliners had advanced.
Pezeshkian rewarded his ally Zarif by assigning him to head an advisory committee to select members of the new government. He also named him the president’s deputy for strategic affairs, a newly created position.
“Forced” U.S. citizenship
But Pezeshkian’s decisions were met with fierce criticism, which later led to Zarif’s brief resignation.
On August 17, after Pezeshkian announced his government, Zarif suddenly submitted his resignation, stirring up controversy. Some view that the resignation was motivated by his opinion not being taken into account regarding the composition of the new government, in addition to his dissatisfaction with the representation of youth, women and minorities in the government.
A minister close to Zarif, however, said he resigned because of criticism that his son Mehdi, his daughter Mahsa and his grandchildren had American citizenship.
In his resignation letter, Zarif says that his family members “hold American citizenship not because they sought it, but because they were born there.”
“It is a ‘forced’ citizenship, and my wife and I did not seek it because we were studying there. Now my wife, children and grandchildren live in our dear Iran, and we do not own a single meter of land outside of it,” he said.
Zarif added that he was sanctioned by the U.S. and Canada which barred him and his wife from traveling as tourists to many countries.
Smiles or missile
After his resignation, Zarif met Pezeshkian. He then joined a government delegation chaired by the president visiting the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. At the time he announced the withdrawal of his resignation.
After the visit, he wrote on X social media platform on Aug. 27:
Hardliners say that his return was illegal because of his children’s dual nationality.
“After careful consultations of the Honorable President and with his written order, I will continue to perform my duties as the strategic deputy of the President, trusting in God and hoping for the companionship and guidance of the honorable people.”
The next day, he attended a government meeting. Hardliners, however, insisted that his return was illegal because of his children’s dual nationality. They argued that the Iranian constitution bars those who, or their children, grandchildren, wives hold dual nationality, are not entitled to hold sensitive positions.
Zarif’s position is still fragile; and in their view, Iranian strategic affairs do not need Zarif’s diplomatic connections and gentle smile, but rather the missiles and regional militias of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
