Iranian Parliamentary Figures Call for Zarif’s Removal After His Insolent Remarks at Davos Forum
Iranian Parliamentary Figures Call for Zarif’s Removal After His Insolent Remarks at Davos Forum
2025-01-28
Parliamentary figures have accused Iran’s Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif of being a close friend of George Soros and Joe Biden, and that his statements in Davos are contrary to Iran’s national interests, as criticism of the Iranian government’s foreign policy escalates.
Mohammad Manan Raisi, a member of parliament from Qom, described Mohammad Javad Zarif’s remarks at the Davos Forum about the hijab in Iran as “impudent”, criticizing his position that the course of dealing with the hijab in Iran is “correct.”
Zarif said in Davos that the Iranian government does not put pressure on women, even though uncovering the head is against the law.
Speaking to CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Zarif said, “The Iranian regime has decided not to pressure women on the issue of the hijab.”
He added: “If you walk around the streets of Tehran, you will see women who do not wear the hijab. Although this behaviour is against the law, the government has decided not to put pressure on them.”
Zarif considered this approach a step towards the “right path”, but he acknowledged that this step is not enough, describing it as just a beginning that needs further development.
In a related context, the National Security Committee of the Iranian Parliament called on Monday for the dismissal of Mohammad Javad Zarif from his position as strategic assistant to President Masoud Pezeshkian.
For his part, Mohammad Seraj, a member of the Iranian parliament, revealed that “about 60 members of the Iranian parliament filed a complaint against Mohammad Javad Zarif, due to his recent statements at the Davos Forum.”
“About 60 MPs sent a letter to the Attorney General objecting to Zarif’s description of the revolutionary forces as violent before the international community,” said Seraj, considering that this behavior serves the country’s enemies. The MPs called on the Attorney General to seriously investigate this issue.
In the open parliament session, MP Kamran Ghazanfari stated: “Bazeshkian sent a person who is legally unqualified to hold the position of vice president as a representative of the government to Switzerland, where he made statements that are completely contrary to Iran’s national interests and in line with the wishes of the United States.”
Ebrahim Azizi, head of the parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said Zarif’s appointment was “illegal” because of his children’s dual nationality, which Iranian law prevents him from holding sensitive positions, stressing that parliament expects the judiciary to address the issue.
In an article in the Kayhan newspaper, editor-in-chief Hossein Shariatmadari described Zarif’s remarks at the Davos Economic Forum as “humiliating,” as Zarif criticized the Iranian regime in front of the Americans, as he described it, and spoke about negotiations with the Trump administration from a weak position.
In response to Zarif’s remarks, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said, “Officials should be careful in their statements to avoid harming national interests.”
burathanews.com
