Iran's President nominates Abbas Araghchi as foreign minister amid Zarif's resignation, cabinet reshuffle

Shafaq News/ Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has nominated Abbas Araghchi as the country’s new foreign minister, the parliament speaker announced on Sunday during a live broadcast on the Student News Network.

"From tomorrow morning, parliamentary commissions will start reviewing the plans of proposed ministers until the end of next week," said parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, noting that the parliament must still approve Pezeshkian’s cabinet nominations.

Araghchi, a seasoned diplomat and former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, played a key role as chief negotiator in nuclear talks between Tehran and world powers from 2013 to 2021. He served as Iran’s ambassador to Finland and Japan, and as a deputy foreign minister for Asia-Pacific affairs. In 2013, he briefly served as the foreign ministry’s spokesperson.

Araghchi’s nomination comes as the new president faces growing pressure over his proposed cabinet lineup. Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was appointed last week as Pezeshkian’s strategic affairs aide, has reportedly filed his registration from his position, citing intense scrutiny over the proposed ministers. 

Reformist figures, including Mohammad Fazeli, Saeed Shariati, and Azar Mansouri, have voiced their concerns about the process of government formation. Former reformist Lawmaker Mahmoud Sadeghi criticized Pezeshkian on social media, expressing discontent with the cabinet selection process. "The criticisms regarding the composition of the cabinet members contradict President Pezeshkian’s promises and principles," Sadeghi wrote on X, adding that the criticisms reflect a broader push for popular oversight rather than just factional demands.

The Iranian parliament is expected to deliberate on the nominations in the coming days.