IRANIAN FOREIGN Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif walks near Lebanese and Iranian flags upon his arrival at the Government Palace in Beirut in 2015. . (photo credit: REUTERS)
X ![]()
Dear Reader,
As you can imagine, more people are reading The Jerusalem Post than ever before. Nevertheless, traditional business models are no longer sustainable and high-quality publications, like ours, are being forced to look for new ways to keep going. Unlike many other news organizations, we have not put up a paywall. We want to keep our journalism open and accessible and be able to keep providing you with news and analysis from the frontlines of Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World.
As one of our loyal readers, we ask you to be our partner.
For $5 a month you will receive access to the following:
- A user experience almost completely free of ads
- Access to our Premium Section
- Content from the award-winning Jerusalem Report and our monthly magazine to learn Hebrew – Ivrit
- A brand new ePaper featuring the daily newspaper as it appears in print in Israel
Help us grow and continue telling Israel’s story to the world.
Thank you,
Ronit Hasin-Hochman, CEO, Jerusalem Post Group
Yaakov Katz, Editor-in-Chief
UPGRADE YOUR JPOST EXPERIENCE FOR 5$ PER MONTH Show me later
The sudden resignation of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday likely signals either the end or the last minute-saving of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Assuming his resignation is accepted and this is not a Saad Hariri style coerced-temporary resignation, as when Saudi Arabia tried to force him to step down as Lebanese prime minister, it is a clear turning point.
Zarif was the Islamic Republic’s face of the 2015 deal and has defended it against Iranian hardliners for years.
His defense of the deal in Iran got harder when the US left the deal in May.
It got even harder when the US imposed new sanctions in August and imposed full oil sanctions in November.
Though Tehran threatened to leave in retaliation, it has remained in the deal now nearly 10 months after the US left.
Meanwhile, promised help from the EU to Iran to offset US sanctions has been slow to negligible.
Only recently did the EU finally announce its special purpose vehicle for facilitating trade with Iran to circumvent US sanctions and it is relatively clear that the so-called SPV will be very limited in its impact.
Iran has also been furious with the EU for taking the US’s side in trying to get it to reduce ballistic missile testing and to downgrade its presence in Syria.
The Islamic Republic has increased its threats of leaving the deal and advertised a range of nuclear activities which it was getting ready to move forward with the second that it might leave the deal.
For Tehran, firing Zarif could be the final act before leaving the deal.
Then again, Zarif could be the sacrificial lamb that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has offered up to those opposing the deal in order to protect the deal and his own power somewhat longer.
Forcing Zarif out could also give the hardliner’s greater control over negotiations with the EU and others and give them a chance to vent and threaten more directly in an effort to extract concessions.
Either way, Zarif’s resignation is a turning point and the nuclear standoff ride just got a lot bumpier.
Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>>
Comments are closed.