Iran’s president Rouhani rejects Foreign minister Zarif’s resignation

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has officially rejected the resignation of his Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.

In a letter, Rouhani praised Zarif's record and said: "I think your resignation is against the country's interests and I do not accept it."

Zarif offered to resign on Monday, saying he hoped to allow his ministry to reclaim its "proper statutory role".

Zarif was later seen joining Rouhani and other Iranian officials during a ceremony welcoming Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Qassem Soleimani, a senior Revolutionary Guard commander, also declared on Wednesday that Zarif is the main person "in charge of the foreign policy" of Iran, and "has always been supported by the top officials."

Zarif did not give a reason when he announced his intention to resign on the social media platform Instagram late on Monday evening.

His role in negotiating the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with world powers exposed him to sharp criticism from hardliners.

Many hardliners opposed the decision to accept limits on the country's nuclear activities in return for the lifting of crippling sanctions.

Pressure on Zarif grew last year after US President Donald Trump abandoned the deal and reinstated US sanctions targeting Iran's oil and banking sectors.

Zarif later told the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on Tuesday that he hoped his resignation "would spark the return of the ministry of foreign affairs to its constitutional place in [Iran's] international relations".

His remarks are believed to be linked to his absence in two separate meetings Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had on Monday with Rouhani and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Following his abrupt announcement, Iranian officials and legislators rallied behind the top diplomat and appealed for him to stay, even as some hardline voices expressed satisfaction with the move.