Zarif had already been at the center of controversies in Iran because some politicians had critiqued him over the last several months.

Iran's Vice-President for Strategic Affairs Javad Zarif announced his resignation on Monday in another setback for reformists, seven months after moderate President Masoud Pezeshkian took office. It followed the dismissal on Sunday of Iran's economy minister Abdolnaser Hemmati by the country's parliament,

The United Nations nuclear watchdog called on the US and Iran to begin talks, suggesting that US President Donald Trump holds the next move in trying to defuse tensions with the Islamic Republic over its atomic activities.

Iranian state media said that Iran’s “president acknowledges he shifted position on negotiating with the US to match [Supreme] Leader’s stance.”