Hopes his resign­ation will act as spur for the foreig­n minist­ry to regain its proper statut­ory toleTEHRAN: Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif urged Iranian diplomats on Tuesday not to resign en masse following his shock announcement he was quitting but to keep up their work defending Iran’s interests. The announcement on Instagram late on Monday by Zarif, the lead negotiator of Iran’s landmark 2015 nuclear deal with major powers, prompted reports that large numbers of diplomats were considering resigning too in a show of support. Architect of nuclear deal, Iran’s Foreign Minister Zarif resigns“I hope my resignation will act as a spur for the foreign ministry to regain its proper statutory tole in the conduct of foreign affairs,” it quoted him as saying. According to Iran’s Entekhab news agency, Zarif’s resignation appears to be linked to a surprise visit by Syrian President Bashar Al Assad to Tehran on Monday. Zarif said his main concern throughout the negotiations for the nuclear deal had been about pressure from inside Iran.

Source: The Express Tribune February 26, 2019 10:47 UTC