Behind the Scenes: Iranian Leaders and the Women Beside Them

Mohammad Javad Zarif, born in 1960, is a seasoned diplomat and foreign minister from 2013 to 2021. Educated in the United States, Zarif was instrumental in negotiating the 2015 nuclear deal. Fluent in English and familiar with Western politics, he became the face of Iran’s diplomatic engagement with the world. Though hailed internationally, Zarif often faced domestic criticism from hardliners. His tenure highlighted the internal tug-of-war between diplomacy and ideological rigidity in Iran's foreign policy.