Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “good riddance” on Tuesday after Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif abruptly announced his resignation.

“Zarif is gone. Good riddance,” Netanyahu said of the lead negotiator of Iran’s landmark 2015 nuclear agreement with major powers that he had bitterly opposed.

“As long as I am here, Iran will never acquire nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu tweeted.

Zarif made a shock announcement on Instagram about his resignation. In the post, he apologized “for the inability to continue the service and for all the shortcomings during the service,” without, however, revealing the reasons for his decision.

The top Iranian diplomat played the lead role in negotiating the 2015 nuclear deal with the P5+1 group of world powers, which facilitated the lifting of global anti-Iranian sanctions.

While the chief of staff of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, has categorically refuted media reports claiming that the country’s leader accepted the resignation of Zarif, the parliament is expected to debate on the move at a Tuesday session.

Source: Agencies