Mohammad Javad Zarif facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mohammad Javad Zarif
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محمدجواد ظریف
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Zarif in 2020
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| Vice President of Iran for Strategic Affairs |
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| Assumed office 1 August 2024 |
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| President | Masoud Pezeshkian |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Advisor to the President of Iran Head of Center for Strategic Studies |
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| Assumed office 1 August 2024 |
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| President | Masoud Pezeshkian |
| Preceded by | Mostafa Zamanian |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran | |
| In office 15 August 2013 – 25 August 2021 |
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| President | Hassan Rouhani |
| Deputy | Morteza Sarmadi |
| Preceded by | Ali Akbar Salehi |
| Succeeded by | Hossein Amir-Abdollahian |
| Chief Nuclear Negotiator of Iran | |
| In office 6 September 2013 – 14 July 2015 |
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| President | Hassan Rouhani |
| Deputy | Abbas Araghchi |
| Preceded by | Saeed Jalili |
| Succeeded by | Abbas Araghchi (as head of JCPOA follow-up commission) |
| Ambassador of Iran to the United Nations | |
| In office 5 August 2002 – 25 July 2007 |
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| President | Mohammad Khatami Mahmoud Ahmadinejad |
| Preceded by | Mohd. Hadi Nejad Hosseinian |
| Succeeded by | Mohammad Khazaee |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 January 1960 Tehran, Pahlavi Iran |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse |
Maryam Imanieh
(m. 1979) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | see below |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Government site |
| Alma mater | San Francisco State (BA, MA) University of Denver (MA, PhD) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | School of International Relations University of Tehran Islamic Azad University |
| Thesis | Self-Defense in International Law and Policy (1988) |
Mohammad Javad Zarif (born 8 January 1960) is an Iranian diplomat and teacher. He is currently the Vice President for Strategic Affairs since August 2024. Before this, he was the Foreign Minister of Iran from 2013 to 2021. He worked under President Hassan Rouhani.
During his time as Foreign Minister, Zarif led important talks with several powerful countries. These talks led to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015. This agreement helped lift some economic rules against Iran.
Zarif has held many important jobs in diplomacy and government. He teaches about diplomacy at the School of International Relations and University of Tehran. He was also Iran's top representative at the United Nations from 2002 to 2007.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Mohammad Javad Zarif was born in Tehran, Iran, around 1960. His family was well-off and religious. His father was a famous businessman from Isfahan. His mother was the daughter of a well-known Tehran businessman.
He went to Alavi School, a private religious school. His parents kept him away from TV and newspapers. Instead, he read books by revolutionary thinkers.
At age 17, Zarif moved to the United States. He attended Drew College Preparatory School in San Francisco. He then studied at San Francisco State University. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1981 and a master's degree in 1982. Both degrees were in international relations.
He continued his studies at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. He received another master's degree in 1984. In 1988, he earned his PhD in international law and policy. His main project was about "Self-Defense in International Law and Policy." His professors remembered him as a very good student.
Early Diplomatic Roles
In May 1982, Zarif joined the Iranian team at the United Nations. He was chosen because he spoke English well and had connections in America. He was involved in talks to free U.S. hostages in Lebanon. These hostages were held by groups linked to Iran.
Even though the U.S. did not make a similar friendly move, Zarif still wanted to improve relations. In 2000, he led a meeting for the World Conference against Racism. He also chaired the United Nations Disarmament Commission.
Zarif also taught international law at the University of Tehran. From 2010 to 2012, he was a vice president at Islamic Azad University. He has written many articles on topics like disarmament and international law.
Iran's Representative at the UN (2002–2007)
Zarif served as Iran's main representative at the United Nations from 2002 to 2007. During this time, he worked on a plan called the "Grand Bargain." This plan aimed to solve problems between the U.S. and Iran in 2003.
While at the UN, Zarif met privately with U.S. politicians. These included Senators Joseph Biden and Chuck Hagel. He left his UN role on 6 July 2007. Mohammad Khazaee took over his position.
In 2007, Zarif spoke at a conference in New Jersey. The conference discussed ways to improve relations between Iran and America. It also looked at how to avoid conflicts.
Foreign Minister of Iran (2013–2021)
In July 2013, it was announced that Zarif was President-elect Hassan Rouhani's choice for Foreign Minister. The Iranian Parliament approved him with many votes. He took over from Ali Akbar Salehi.
Zarif welcomed the Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said Al Said, to Iran. This was the first visit by a foreign leader since Rouhani became president. Some thought the Sultan carried secret messages between the U.S. and Iran.
In September 2013, Zarif said that Iran does not deny the Holocaust. This was a different stance from the previous president. He also met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. This was the highest-level direct meeting between the two countries in six years. Kerry called it a "constructive meeting."
After some talks broke down, Zarif said Iran was ready for a deal. He believed that some countries were making the situation harder. Negotiations continued, with many meetings between Iran and the P5+1 countries. These countries included the U.S., France, Germany, Russia, China, and Britain.
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In February 2015, Zarif stated Iran did not want to extend the nuclear talks again. He expected economic rules to be lifted quickly if a deal was reached. He said, "Sanctions are a liability." He believed this was a chance to reach an agreement.
Nuclear Agreement
On 2 April 2015, a framework for a nuclear deal was announced. Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program for at least ten years. It also agreed to international inspections. In return, international rules against Iran would be lifted.
On 24 November, the Geneva interim agreement was signed. It was also called the Joint Plan of Action. This agreement was between Iran and the P5+1 countries. It froze parts of Iran's nuclear program for a short time. In exchange, some economic rules on Iran were reduced. This was a step towards a longer-term agreement.
Other Important Issues
Zarif spoke out against the U.S. involvement in the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen. He said the U.S. should be held responsible for harm caused.
In February 2019, Zarif met with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. Nasrallah thanked Zarif for Iran's support. Zarif confirmed Iran's strong support for Lebanon.
Zarif also condemned the 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria. He saw it as a violation of Syria's independence. However, he said the U.S. was an "irrelevant occupier in Syria." He offered Iran's help to ease tensions between Syria and Turkey.
Zarif called the peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates a betrayal. He believed it went against other countries in the Middle East.
Resignation and Return
On 25 February 2019, Zarif announced his resignation on Instagram. He apologized for any shortcomings during his time as Foreign Minister. An aide said he was upset about being left out of meetings with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
President Rouhani rejected Zarif's resignation two days later. Qasem Soleimani, a top military leader, also said Zarif should stay. Zarif then continued in his role as Foreign Minister.
Sanctions
In July 2019, the United States placed sanctions on Zarif. The U.S. called him an "illegitimate spokesperson for Iran." The European Union expressed regret about this decision.
Vice President
Zarif supported Masoud Pezeshkian in the 2024 Iranian presidential election. After Pezeshkian won, Zarif was asked to help choose ministers for the new government. In August 2024, Pezeshkian appointed him as Vice President for Strategic Affairs.
However, Zarif resigned shortly after due to disagreements. He felt that Pezeshkian had not kept promises about including more women, young people, and different ethnic groups in the government. But on August 27, Zarif announced that he would return to the post.
Accolades
- 9th Iran National Industry Champions Festival's ‘Champion of Champions of Diplomacy’: 2013
- KhabarOnline's ‘Face of The Year’: 2013
- TIME's ‘100 Most Influential People in the World’ (2 times): 2014, 2015
- Global Risk Insights' ‘Person of the Year in Political Risk’: 2015
- Chatham House Prize: 2016 (shared with John Kerry)
National Orders
| Ribbon | Distinction | Country | Date | Location | Ref |
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Order of Merit and Management, 1st Class |  Iran |
8 February 2016 | Tehran | |
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Grand Cross of Order of the Condor of the Andes |  Bolivia |
26 August 2016 | La Paz | |
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Order of Friendship |  Kazakhstan |
10 September 2018 | Tehran |
Personal Life
Mohammad Javad Zarif is married and has two children. His daughter is an interior decorator. His son works as a marketing consultant. Both of his children were born in the United States.
He met his wife in the summer of 1979 through his sister. They got married in Iran. Within a few weeks, they moved to New York during the Iranian revolution. Besides his native Persian, he also speaks English very well.
See also
- List of foreign ministers in 2017
- List of current foreign ministers
- Iran's 2018 prisoner swap proposal to the United States
