Zarif resigned 'over Assad trip to Tehran'

Iranian regime’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was not informed about Bashar Assad’s trip to Tehran last week and that was a reason why he submitted his resignation, the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) reported on Tuesday (March 5).

The news agency cited foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi as the source of the information in its report.

The head of the Iranian regime Hassan Rouhani rejected Zarif’s resignation last Wednesday, bolstering a moderate ally who has long been targeted by hardliners in factional struggles over the 2015 nuclear deal with the West.

“The ministry of foreign affairs did not have information at any level (about the trip) and this lack of information was maintained until the end of the trip,” Qassemi said, according to ISNA.

One of the reasons for the resignation of Dr. Zarif was this type of lack of coordination with the ministry of foreign affairs, ISNA added.

Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, the branch of the elite Revolutionary Guards responsible for operations outside Iran’s borders, was present at a meeting last week between Assad and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the highest authority in the Islamic Republic. 

Soleimani said last week that Zarif was the main person in charge of foreign policy and he was supported by Khamenei.

Based on Reuters