Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono has voiced his surprise over the sudden resignation of his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, asking him to stay in his position and not to resign. During his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Kono said that he had met with Zarif and talked on the phone with him several times, […]
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono has voiced his surprise over the sudden resignation of his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, asking him to stay in his position and not to resign.
During his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Kono said that he had met with Zarif and talked on the phone with him several times, describing the Iranian foreign minister as a moderate diplomat who played a significant role in brokering the Iran nuclear deal in 2015.
“I know that under Iran’s laws, Dr. Zarif is still officially foreign minister, so I ask him to stay in his position,” he added.
Zarif announced his resignation late on Monday.
“I am apologizing to you for all the shortcomings […] in the past years during my time as foreign minister […] I thank the Iranian nation and officials”, he wrote in his Instagram blog.
“Many thanks for the generosity of the dear and brave people of Iran and its authorities over the past 67 months. I sincerely apologize for the inability to continue the service and for all the shortcomings during the service. Be happy and worthy”, he added.
Zarif’s resignation needs the president’s approval before taking effect.
