Iranian foreign minister Zarif abruptly announces his resignation



Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Monday he was resigning from his position.
Zarif announced the move in a post on his Instagram account. It was later confirmed by a spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry to the country’s official IRNA news agency.
“I apologize for my inability to continue serving and for all the shortcomings during my term in office,” Zarif said cryptically in a message posted on his verified Instagram account.

There was no immediate reason offered for what prompted Zarif’s resignation.
Zarif is considered a member of the so-called moderate camp, which has advocated for improving ties with Western countries to help Iran’s economy following years of international sanctions.

During his tenure, Zarif has appeared frequently on international media outlets to defend Iran’s foreign policy and with his fluent English has used his Twitter account to hit out at US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
His announcement came hours after state media in Iran and Syria reported Syrian President Bashar Assad visited Tehran in a rare overseas visit to meet Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani, but there was no indication the move was related.