A few days after he resigned from a top government job in Iran, Mohammad Javad Zarif changed his mind. He retracted his move to step down and returned as the country’s deputy president for strategic affairs.
Zarif, who served as foreign minister for eight years during Hassan Rouhani's presidency, played a pivotal role in securing the 2015 nuclear agreement. His return to the spotlight in the newly created position is viewed as part of Iran's preparations to initiate fresh dialogue with the United States.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei opened the door to the prospect of negotiations with the US (its long-standing foe) in his speech at the first meeting of the government of the country’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, who took office in late July.
Khamenei said, "There is no harm in dealing with the enemy, but do not trust them," referring to the US. During his election campaign, Pezeshkian also announced his plan to reduce tensions with Iran’s adversaries in the West.
The new foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, also announced the government's intention to resume talks with Washington, stating that his administration aims to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement and lift the imposed sanctions.
Clear signal
Zarif’s retraction of his resignation – along with the top-level statements – clearly indicates that Tehran is prepared to move on from the secret and slow rounds of secret negotiations, which have been underway at times in Oman, Qatar, and Geneva. It now wants more serious and comprehensive talks.
Although it is anticipated that nothing substantial will occur before the US election, Iran is signalling its readiness for engagement after the vote. It has a clear preference for the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, over her Republican rival, Donald Trump, the former president who cancelled the nuclear agreement.
