Iranian Presidential Candidate Meets Javad Zarif

Photo of Pezeshkian and Zarif released by Iranian media on June 13. It is not clear if the image shows their recent meeting.
Photo of Pezeshkian and Zarif released by Iranian media on June 13. It is not clear if the image shows their recent meeting.

Iran’s proreform presidential candidate Massoud Pezeshkian held a meeting with former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, after reports that he might choose the former diplomat as his foreign minister in case of victory in the June 28 vote.

Iranian media reported on the meeting on Thursday without offering much detail. “Zarif provided an analysis of the country's foreign policy situation and recent ups and downs, sharing his views on international relations,” the conservative Mehr News reported.

Pezeshkian has refrained from expressing his views on foreign policy since being approved on Sunday as one of six hand-picked regime insiders allowed to run for president. However, in the past he has expressed support for the 2015 nuclear deal and for the need to achieve a new agreement.

Local media reported that “Pezeshkian also shared his views on diplomacy, emphasizing the need to move towards opening new horizons in foreign policy,” during the meeting with Zarif.

All candidates have so far avoided the issues of foreign policy, crippling sanctions and reaching a deal with the West over Tehran’s fast-expanding nuclear program. While they speak about Iran’s economic vows, they offer domestic solutions, none of the candidates has referred to a foreign policy shift in order to reduce or remove US oil export and other sanctions.