The story: A day after his shock resignation as vice president, Mohammad Javad Zarif has explained his move by charging that unnamed forces were using him to pressure Iran’s new Reformist president. Hinting at what allegedly unfolded behind the scenes, Zarif rejected the notion that he was in violation of a 2021 law barring officials with ties to the west.

Meanwhile, Pezeshkian’s controversial First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref has landed himself in hot water after claiming that Iranian society is not ready for female leadership. This comes as Aref is being accused of...