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Mohammad Javad Zarif

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Mohammad Javad Zarif
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office
15 August 2013
PresidentHassan Rouhani
Preceded byAli Akbar Salehi
Chief Nuclear Negotiator of Iran
In office
6 September 2013 – 14 July 2015
PresidentHassan Rouhani
DeputyAbbas Araghchi
Preceded bySaeed Jalili
Succeeded byAbbas Araghchi (as head of JCPOA follow-up commission)[1]
Ambassador of Iran to the United Nations
In office
5 August 2002 – 25 July 2007
PresidentMohammad Khatami
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Preceded byHadi Nejad-Hosseinian
Succeeded byMohammad Khazaee
Personal details
Born (1960-01-07) 7 January 1960 (age 64)
Tehran, Iran
Political partyIndependent
Spouse
​
(m. 1979)​
[2]
Children2[3]
Awardssee below
Signature
WebsiteGovernment site
Academic background and work
FieldsInternational law
International relations
International studies
Alma materSan Francisco State University (B.A.), (M.A.)
Columbia University (dropped out)[4]
University of Denver (M.A.), (Ph.D.)
ThesisSelf-Defense in International Law and Policy (1988)
InstitutionsSchool of International Relations
University of Tehran
Islamic Azad University

Mohammad Javad Zarif (Template:Lang-fa; Persian pronunciation: [mohæmːædd͡ʒæˌvɒːde zæˌɾiːf]; born 7 January 1960) is an Iranian career diplomat[5] and academic. He has been foreign minister of Iran since 2013. During his tenure as foreign minister, he led the Iranian negotiation with P5+1 countries which produced the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on 14 July 2015,[6] lifting the economic sanctions against Iran on 16 January 2016.[7] On 25 February 2019, Zarif resigned from his post as foreign minister.[8] His resignation was rejected by Hassan Rouhani and he continues as foreign minister.

Before assuming his current position, he held various significant diplomatic and cabinet posts. He is a visiting professor at the School of International Relations and University of Tehran, teaching diplomacy and international organizations. He was the Permanent Representative of Iran to the United Nations from 2002 to 2007.[9] He served as adviser and senior adviser to the Foreign Minister, Deputy Foreign Minister in Legal and International affairs, member of the UN Eminent Persons Group on Dialogue Among Civilizations, Head of the UN Disarmament Commission in New York, member of the Eminent Persons Group on global governance, and Vice President for International Affairs of the Islamic Azad University.[10]

Early life and education

Zarif was born on 7 January 1960 in Tehran.[11][12] According to The New Republic, Zarif was born to an "affluent, religiously devout and politically conservative merchant family in Tehran". His father was one of the most well-known businessmen of Isfahan, and his mother was the daughter of one of the most famous businessmen of Tehran. He was educated at the Alavi School, a private religious institution.[4]

Zarif was shielded from TV, radio, and newspapers by his parents as a youth. Instead, he became exposed to revolutionary ideas by reading the books of Ali Shariati and Samad Behrangi.[4]

At age 17, he left Iran for the United States. Zarif attended Drew College Preparatory School, a private college-preparatory high school located in San Francisco, California.[4] He went on to study at San Francisco State University, from which he gained a B.A. in 1981 and M.A. in 1982, both in international relations.[13] Following this, Zarif continued his studies at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver, from which he obtained a second M.A. in international relations in 1984 and a Ph.D. in international law and policy in 1988.[14][15] His thesis was entitled "Self-Defense in International Law and Policy."[16]

Tom Rowe, a professor at the graduate school who led the committee that oversaw Zarif's dissertation, said: "He was among the very best students that I've ever taught."[17] Ved Nanda, who taught and was on Zarif's dissertation committee, recalled: "[He was] good in the classroom. At that time ... I thought he'd play an important part in his country's life."[18]

Initial missions in the US

Zarif was appointed a member of the Iranian delegation to the United Nations in May 1982—largely due to his English-speaking ability and relationships in America, rather than formal diplomatic training.[4] As a junior diplomat Zarif was involved in negotiations to win the release of U.S. hostages held by pro-Iranian gunmen in Lebanon, according to the memoirs of former United Nations envoy Giandomenico Picco. Even though the United States did not make a promised reciprocal goodwill gesture at the time, Zarif remained committed to improving ties.[19]

In 2000, Zarif served as chairman of the Asian preparatory meeting of the World Conference on Racism and as the chairman of the United Nations Disarmament Commission. Zarif was also professor of international law at the University of Tehran. He served as the vice president of Islamic Azad University in charge of foreign affairs from 2010 to 2012 under Abdollah Jasbi.[20] He has served on the board of editors of a number of scholarly journals, including the Iranian Journal of International Affairs and Iranian Foreign Policy, and has written extensively on disarmament, human rights, international law, and regional conflicts.[21]

Representative at the United Nations

Zarif as Iran's representative at the United Nations

Zarif served as Iran's representative at the United Nations from 2002 to 2007.[13] He was closely linked with developing the so-called "Grand Bargain," a plan to resolve outstanding issues between the U.S. and Iran in 2003.[22] Zarif, during his time at the UN, held private meetings with a number of Washington politicians, including the then-Senators Joseph Biden and Chuck Hagel.[22] He resigned from office on 6 July 2007.[23] He was succeeded by Mohammad Khazaee in the post.[24]

In 2007, Zarif was a headline speaker at an American Iranian Council conference in New Brunswick, New Jersey including Chuck Hagel, Dennis Kucinich, Nicholas Kristof, and Anders Liden to discuss Iranian-American relations, and potential ways to increase dialogue and avoid conflict.[25]

On 18 November 2008, Zarif claimed that Washington is conspiring to foment discord among Iranians in order to topple the Tehran government, saying "The concept of a velvet revolution in Iran should not be considered as groundless fear."[26]

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Zarif outside of Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

On 23 July 2013, it was reported that Zarif was Rouhani's choice for minister of foreign affairs. This was not confirmed by the president-elect's office until 4 August when Rouhani officially nominated Zarif for the position to the Iranian Parliament.[27] He was confirmed by the parliament with 232 votes, replacing Ali Akbar Salehi in the position.[28]

Zarif welcomed the first visit by a foreign leader to Iran since Rouhani assumed the presidency ten days after his approval as Foreign Minister with the arrival of Oman's sultan, Qaboos bin Said Al Said. Stories spread that there was a secret agenda to his meetings with Iranian officials, involving claims that he came to convey messages from the United States and then to relay Iran's response to White House officials.[29] On 5 September 2013, in an exchange prompted by his Rosh Hashanah greeting on Twitter, Zarif said that Iran does not deny the Holocaust, distancing the government from the often belligerent stances by former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.[30] Genuineness of Zarif's tweeting in English was confirmed by CNN's Christiane Amanpour.[31] On 27 September 2013, he met with United States Secretary of State John Kerry during P5+1 and Iran summit. It was the highest-level direct contact between the United States and Iran in the last six years.[32][33] After the meeting, Kerry said that "We had a constructive meeting, and I think all of us were pleased that Foreign Minister Zarif came and made a presentation to us, which was very different in tone and very different in the vision that he held out with respect to possibilities of the future."[34]

After the breakup of talks on 12 November, Zarif rejected Kerry's claim that Iran had been unable to accept the deal "at that particular moment". He said "no amount of spinning" could change what had happened in Geneva, but it could "further erode confidence". Zarif appeared to blame France for "gutting over half" of a US draft deal. Representatives from Iran and the so-called P5+1 - met again on 20 November.[35]

Zarif with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (then recovering from a broken leg) in a one-on-one conversation at the Palais Coburg on July 3, 2015.

Talks between senior American, Iranian and European diplomats in October 2014 produced no breakthrough agreement on curbing Iran's nuclear program, but officials said they still aimed to reach a deal by the November 24 deadline. A senior State Department official characterized each step of progress in the talks as "chipping away" at complex, technical differences, with virtually every sentence requiring an appendix of further explanation. "We continue to make progress, but there is still a substantial amount of work to be done," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the difficult and secretive negotiations.[36]

Zarif with then-U.K. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, 9 December 2017

Zarif and Kerry conferred, ahead of a fresh round of negotiations between Iran and six world powers in Geneva, on settling their 12-year standoff over Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Lower-level negotiators on both sides met at the same venue on 15 January 2015 to iron out technical details ahead of negotiations 3 days later between Iran and the "P5+1" powers – the US, France, Germany, Russia, China and Britain. Speaking at a Tehran news conference, Zarif said the purpose of the talks with Kerry "is to see if we can speed up and push the negotiations forward".[37]

In February, Zarif said that Iran did not favor another extension of the talks on limiting its nuclear program and expected economic sanctions to be quickly lifted if an accord was reached. At a security conference in Munich, he said "Sanctions are a liability; you need to get rid of them if you want a solution." Of the long effort to forge an agreement, he said "This is the opportunity to do it, and we need to seize this opportunity. It may not be repeated." The nuclear talks have already been extended twice and face a late March deadline for working out the main outlines of an accord. The deadline for a detailed agreement is the end of June.[38]

Based on the Iran nuclear deal framework, which was declared on 2 April, Iran agreed to accept significant restrictions on its nuclear program for at least a decade and submit to international inspections under a framework deal. In return, international sanctions would be lifted; whether in phases or all at once still needed to be worked out.

Nuclear Agreement

Main articles: Geneva interim agreement on Iranian nuclear program and Comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear program
Zarif posed for a group photo shortly after finalizing the Iran nuclear deal in Vienna on July 4, 2015

On 21 November it was reported by Iranian negotiators that progress was being made in talks in Geneva with world powers, expressing hope to bridge differences and sign an elusive deal over Tehran's nuclear drive. In statements carried by Iranian media after a one-hour meeting with Baroness Ashton, Zarif said "Differences of opinion remain and we are negotiating over them. God willing we will reach a result."[39] Three days later, the Geneva interim agreement, officially titled the Joint Plan of Action,[40] was signed between Iran and the P5+1 countries in Geneva, Switzerland. It consisted of a short-term freeze of portions of Iran's nuclear program in exchange for decreased economic sanctions on Iran, as the countries worked toward a long-term agreement.[6]

Other issues

Zarif with EU High Representative Federica Mogherini in Tehran, 16 April 2016

On 29 April 2015, while appearing on the Charlie Rose talk-show, Zarif was asked about the detention of Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post reporter held in Iran for the past nine months. He responded, "We do not jail people for their opinions[.]"[41]

Zarif with Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, 2018

Zarif condemned U.S. involvement in the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen, saying the United States should be held "accountable for crimes against humanity".[42]

In an interview conducted by CBS News on 25 April 2019, Zarif said that he was the one who proposed Iran's prisoner swap proposal to the U.S. government in October 2018, the proposal having been unanswered by the U.S. side up till that time. He added that the U.S. government must prove its seriousness before any negotiations.[43][44][45][46]

Resignation

Zarif stepped down from his post on 25 February 2019, announcing his resignation on Instagram. After greetings in honor of Iranian Women's and Mothers' day, he wrote

I am apologising [to] you (wholeheartedly) for my (inability to continue my service and any) shortcomings in the past years during my time as foreign minister... I thank the Iranian nation and officials.

Zarif did not elaborate or provide any further explanation.[47][48] An aide said that one of the reasons for Zarif's resignation was anger over his exclusion that day from meetings with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, who was visiting Teheran. Rouhani rejected Zarif's resignation two days later. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's Quds Force, also rejected Zarif's resignation, with Soleimani remarking that Zarif is the "main person in charge of foreign policy."[49]

Accolades

National orders

Ribbon Distinction Country Date Location Ref
Order of Merit and Management, 1st Class  Iran 8 February 2016 Tehran [56]
Grand Cross of Order of the Condor of the Andes  Bolivia 26 August 2016 La Paz [57]
Order of Friendship  Kazakhstan 10 September 2018 Tehran [58]

Personal life

Zarif with his wife at 35th Fajr International Film Festival

Zarif is married and has a daughter and a son who were born in the United States.[30] He met his wife in summer 1979 through his sister. They married in Iran but moved to New York within several weeks in the midst of the Iranian revolution.[4] In addition to his native Persian, he is fluent in English.

Public image

Zarif has gained a domestic reputation and popularity among the people.[59][60] According to a poll conducted by Information and Public Opinion Solutions LLC (iPOS) in March 2016, Zarif was the most popular political figure in Iran with 76% approval and 7% disapproval ratings.[61]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Araghchi appointed as head of 'JCPOA Follow-up Commission'". Mehr News Agency. 22 September 2015. 2922155. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  2. ^ "The Wife of Iran's Foreign Minister Adds a New Twist to the nuclear talks". The Daily Beast. 1 July 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  3. ^ My children resident in Iran Jaam-e Jam
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Mohammad-Javad Zarif: Iran's Foreign Minister Is a Religious Zealot". New Republic. 23 January 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  5. ^ Zarif, Javad (14 January 2016). "Javad Zarif, Author at Harvard International Review". Harvard International Review. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ a b Anne Gearan and Joby Warrick (23 November 2013). "World powers reach nuclear deal with Iran to freeze its nuclear program". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  7. ^ "International sanctions against Iran lifted". Washington Post. 16 January 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  8. ^ Iran's Foreign Minister Zarif resigns
  9. ^ CV Dr. M. Javad Zarif Unesco
  10. ^ Who’s Who in Iranian Politics. Mohammad Javad Zarif Iranian Diplomacy. 13 August 2013
  11. ^ Minister's Biography: Mohammad Javad Zarif
  12. ^ Kanbiz Foroohar (5 August 2013). "Rohani Taps U.S.-Educated Minister to End Iran Sanctions". Bloomberg. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
  13. ^ a b Esfendiari, Golnaz (14 August 2013). "Iran's 'Olive Branch' Foreign Minister Nominee Makes His Case In Parliament". Radio Free Europe. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  14. ^ "Iran's Rouhani unveils cabinet of technocrats". The Daily Star. 4 August 2013. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  15. ^ Kirkpatrick, Nick (15 August 2013). "Key figures in the Cabinet of Iran's new president". The Washington Post. AP. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  16. ^ Self-defense in international law and policy WorldCat
  17. ^ "Iranian diplomat Zarif made impression at DU". Islamic Republic News Agency. 13 July 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  18. ^ Wright, Robin (26 May 2014). "The Adversary: Is Iran's nuclear negotiator, Javad Zarif, for real?". The New Yorker. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  19. ^ Iran's Foreign Minister Nominee Seen as Olive Branch to US Reuters via VOA (Dubai), 29 July 2013
  20. ^ محمد جواد ظریف معاون جاسبي شد Shafaf
  21. ^ "Dr. Javad Zarif". UN. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
  22. ^ a b Rohani Taps U.S.-Educated Minister to End Iran Sanctions Kambiz Foroohar, Bloomberg, 4 August 2013
  23. ^ "Welcome to the personal web site of Dr. M. Javad Zarif". Zarif. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  24. ^ "وب سایتهای ایرنا". IRNA. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ "Has the U.S. Played a Role in Fomenting Unrest During Iran's Election?". Foreign Policy Journal. 23 June 2009. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
  26. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  27. ^ هشت نفر از اعضای کابینه روحانی نهایی شدند +اسامی Archived 23 July 2013 at archive.today Iran Elections
  28. ^ Kamali Dehghan, Saeed (15 August 2013). "Iran's parliament approves 15 of Hassan Rouhani's 18 cabinet ministers". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  29. ^ Oman sultan's Iran visit sparks hopes of progress in nuclear standoff The Guardian 30 August 2013
  30. ^ a b Rayman, Noah (5 September 2013). "Iran Doesn't Deny the Holocaust, New Foreign Minister Says on Twitter". Time. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  31. ^ توئیتر منسوب به ظریف: انکارکننده هولوکاست، دیگر رفته ‌است. BBC Persian (in Persian). Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  32. ^ Diplomats hail new Iranian attitude in nuke talks
  33. ^ U.S., Iran voice optimism and caution after rare encounter
  34. ^ Remarks After the P-5+1 Ministerial on Iran
  35. ^ Iran blames Western powers for nuclear talks failure BBC. 12 November 2013
  36. ^ [1]
  37. ^ [2]
  38. ^ [3]
  39. ^ Iran negotiators see progress in Geneva nuclear talks The Daily Star. 22 November 2013
  40. ^ "Iran Strongly Rejects Text of Geneva Agreement Released by White House". Fars News Agency. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  41. ^ "Iranian foreign minister angers supporters with human rights claim". The Guardian. 1 May 2015.
  42. ^ "Iranian foreign minister slams Pompeo over Yemen comments". CNN. 9 November 2018.
  43. ^ Nichols, Michelle; Wroughton, Lesley (24 April 2019). "Iran's Zarif warns U.S. of 'consequences' over oil sanctions, offer prisoner swap". reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  44. ^ "Iran's FM Zarif Says US Must 'Prove It's Serious' About Prisoner Swap Talks". sputniknews.com. Sputnik. 28 April 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  45. ^ Gladstone, Rick (24 April 2019). "Iran's Foreign Minister Proposes Prisoner Exchange With U.S." nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  46. ^ "Iran Made No Offer, Responded to US Call for Prisoner Swap: Zarif". tasnimnews.com. Tasnim News. 28 April 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  47. ^ Instagram Post of Resignation
  48. ^ Staff. (25 February 2019). "Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif Resigns". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  49. ^ Hafezi, Parisa; Sharafedin, Bozorghmer (27 February 2019). "Stay in Your Job, Iranian President Tells Moderate Ally Zarif". Reuters. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  50. ^ "ظریف قهرمان قهرمانان دیپلماسی ایران شد". ٍghtesadOnline (in Persian). 16 January 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  51. ^ "مخاطبان خبر آنلاین در چهار دوره گذشته چه کسانی را به عنوان چهره سال انتخاب کردند؟". KhabarOnline (in Persian). 26 February 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  52. ^ "TIME 100: The Most Influential People in the World in 2014". Time. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  53. ^ "TIME 100: The Most Influential People in the World in 2015". Time. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  54. ^ "GRI's 2015 Person of the Year in Political Risk". Global Risk Insights. 24 December 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  55. ^ "John Kerry and Mohammad Javad Zarif named winners of the Chatham House Prize 2016". Chatham House. 24 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  56. ^ "Iran's FM, nuclear chief, DM receive medals for role in nuclear deal". Iranian Students' News Agency. 8 February 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  57. ^ "Iranian FM awarded Bolivia's highest state medal". Islamic Republic News Agency. 26 August 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  58. ^ "Iran FM Holds Talks with Several Foreign Diplomats". IFPnews. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  59. ^ Karimi, Arash (14 July 2015). "Zarif's domestic popularity soars with nuclear deal". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  60. ^ "Zarif; a right man at the right time". The Iran Project. 12 May 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  61. ^ "ظریف محبوب‌ترین چهره سیاسی ایران". Information and Public Opinion Solutions LLC (in Persian). 24 May 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
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Articles
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Hadi Nejad-Hosseinian
 Ambassador to the United Nations
2002–2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Nuclear Negotiator of Iran
2013–2015 		Succeeded byas Head of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Follow-up Commission
Government offices
Preceded by Minister of Foreign Affairs
2013–present 		Incumbent
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