The former vice president, Mohammad Javad Zarif, served as a key supporter of Pezeshkian in his election last year but drew criticism from hard-liners within Iran’s Shiite theocracy, who long have alleged Zarif gave away too much in negotiations. <\/p>\n

In March, Zarif tendered his resignation to Pezeshkian. However, the president did not immediately respond to the letter. Zarif has used resignation announcements in the past in his political career as leverage, including in a dispute last year over the composition of Pezeshkian\u2019s Cabinet. The president had rejected that resignation.<\/p>\n

But on late Tuesday, a statement from the presidency said Pezeshkian wrote Zarif a letter praising him but accepting his resignation.<\/p>\n

\u201cPezeshkian emphasized that due to certain issues, his administration can no longer benefit from Zarif\u2019s valuable knowledge and expertise,\u201d a statement from the presidency said. <\/p>\n

The president in a decree appointed Mohsen Ismaili, 59, to be his new vice president for strategic affairs. In Iran’s political system, the president has multiple vice presidents. Ismaili is known as a political moderate and a legal expert. <\/p>\n

Grossi arrived in Tehran for meetings with Pezeshkian and others, which likely will be held Thursday as his previous visits saw the engagements the following morning after his arrival. <\/p>\n

Since the nuclear deal\u2019s collapse in 2018 with Trump’s unilateral withdraw of the U.S. from the accord, Iran has abandoned all limits on its program, and enriches uranium to up to 60% purity \u2014 near weapons-grade levels of 90%.<\/p>\n

Surveillance cameras installed by the IAEA have been disrupted, while Iran has barred some of the Vienna-based agency\u2019s most experienced inspectors. Iranian officials also have increasingly threatened that they could pursue atomic weapons, something the West and the IAEA have been worried about for years since Tehran abandoned an organized weapons program in 2003.<\/p>\n