Iran’s new President Masoud Pezeshkian is facing fierce criticism over his Cabinet line-up even before his government has been confirmed by parliament.
Some of the conservative ministers selected have nothing to do with the reform course Pezeshkian promised during the campaign, detractors have said.
Pezeshkian responded by saying that he is open to criticism, but that the ministers should be given a chance.
“Wait for the Cabinet to get to work and criticize it based on its performance,” he wrote on X on Tuesday.
Political observers believe that Pezeshkian was compelled to add certain names to the 19-member Cabinet roster by the parliament, which is dominated by hardliners.
In protest against the Cabinet list, Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Monday he had resigned as Pezeshkian’s vice president after only 11 days in the position. His post had not required parliament’s confirmation.
Zarif said he had not agreed with at least seven of the 19 Cabinet nominees and so had decide to return to his academic work.
The former foreign minister was considered one of the key figures in Pezeshkian’s future government due to his diplomatic experience.
Pezeshkian had hoped to be able to resume nuclear negotiations with West, with Zarif in a lead role.
Zarif was the country’s chief diplomat between 2013 and 2021 and was able to finalize the international nuclear agreement with six world powers in 2015 as head of the Iranian negotiating team in Vienna.
