Iran’s former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was appointed as deputy by President Masoud Pezeshkian, announced his return to the post after resigning over dissatisfaction with the ministerial picks, he announced on his X.com account on August 27.

Zarif led Pezeshkian’s campaign and was in charge of an advisory council for selecting cabinet members after his win. The president later appointed him as his “strategic deputy”. However, when the final list of ministers was released, he reportedly fell out with the president, saying they were selected from the bottom of the council’s proposed options list and several of them were not reformists. He apologised to the nation and said he would resign and return to his job at the university.

The president's selected ministers collectively received a vote of confidence from the parliament on August 21, officially marking the beginning of the new administration.

When Pezeshkian and his cabinet met Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on August 27, Zarif was also present. Photos from the meeting show Zarif slumped in a chair, not looking interested in the meeting with the supreme leader.

“After the diligent inquiries and consultations by the honourable President and with his written directive, I will continue to serve as the Strategic Deputy of the President, with trust in God and hope for the support and guidance of the esteemed people,” he announced in a post in his X account following the meeting.

He then praised Pezeshkian’s cabinet for its unprecedented inclusion of women, ethnic, and religious minorities, calling it a testament to the president’s “honesty and bravery” in fulfilling his campaign promises.

This is while the government has faced criticism for its lack of diversity. The cabinet includes one woman as a minister and three as vice presidents, along with one Kurdish Sunni deputy, while the remaining members are predominantly Shia men.

Zarif said he and other members of the advisory council are “proud that nearly 70% of ministers and vice presidents, as well as many deputies in ministries and organisations, are selected based on expert recommendations of this transparent and participatory process.”

Pezeshkian, on August 19, warned that internal divisions within the government and between the state and the public pose one of the greatest threats to national security and progress, reformist-leaning Entekhab reported.

Pezeshkian made the comments during a meeting with local representatives from three provinces.