Iran’s former nuclear deal architect, VP Zarif, resigns amid tensions over US talks

Mohammad Javad Zarif, who orchestrated Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement with global powers, resigned from his position as vice president, Iranian state media reported Sunday.

The resignation comes just days after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei expressed opposition to negotiations with Washington.

“President Masoud Pezeshkian has received Javad Zarif’s resignation letter but has not yet responded,” confirmed the Iranian government’s official news agency IRNA.

Conflicting reports have emerged about the timing and reasons behind Zarif’s resignation. The IRGC-affiliated Fars News, citing two unnamed sources, reported that Zarif stepped down following parliament’s vote of no confidence against the Pezeshkian administration’s finance minister.

However, the semi-official ISNA news agency contradicted this account, stating the resignation was submitted before the parliamentary vote.

“In his letter to the president, Zarif said that he prefers to serve Iran by teaching at a university,” ISNA added.

Iran rules out talks with US

Zarif’s appointment to Pezeshkian’s administration had fueled speculation that Iran might pursue a new nuclear agreement with world powers similar to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was abandoned by Trump during his first term as U.S. president.

Those hopes were dampened last month when Khamenei, Iran’s ultimate authority, dismissed the idea of talks with Trump, describing such negotiations as “neither wise, nor intelligent, nor honorable.”

During an address to parliament on Sunday, President Pezeshkian acknowledged deferring to Khamenei’s position despite his own initial support for dialogue.

“I believed it was better to engage in dialogue, but when the Leader said we would not negotiate with the U.S., I said, ‘We will not negotiate with the U.S., period,'” Pezeshkian told lawmakers, emphasizing that government policy must align with the Supreme Leader’s stance.

This is not Zarif’s first resignation. During his tenure under former President Hassan Rouhani, he submitted his resignation five times. More recently, he resigned as Pezeshkian’s aide last August before returning as vice president for strategic affairs within weeks.

Zarif has faced persistent pressure from hardliners in parliament, including Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, who in November joined calls for Zarif’s dismissal citing concerns over his son’s U.S. citizenship.

The ultra-conservative Paydari (Steadfastness) Party faction has refused to amend a 2020 law prohibiting individuals whose family members hold dual nationality from serving in “sensitive positions” within the government—a restriction they argue applies to Zarif.