The Iranian parliament’s security committee has called for the resignation of Javad Zarif, Vice President for Strategic Affairs and former foreign minister, citing concerns about family members holding dual citizenship.

In a letter issued Monday, the committee urged the annulment of Zarif’s appointment, referencing a 2022 law prohibiting individuals with dual citizenship or close family ties to dual citizens from holding sensitive governmental positions.

“The Administrative Court of Justice requested that the decision appointing Mr. Zarif as the president's strategic vice president be annulled and that the effect of the annulment be extended to the time of its notification,” said Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the parliament’s security committee, in remarks to the semi-official ISNA news agency.

Zarif’s two children are natural-born U.S. citizens, a fact that fundamentalist lawmakers have seized upon to challenge his role. They have asked President Masoud Pezeshkian to reverse his October decision appointing Zarif as vice president.

Rezaei emphasized the urgency of the matter, stating, “Persons who themselves, their children, or their spouses have dual citizenship to sensitive jobs and positions is prohibited. Therefore, the head of the commission asked the head of the administrative court to handle this issue.”

The controversy adds to a series of challenges Zarif has faced in his political career. In August, he resigned from Pezeshkian’s cabinet, citing dissatisfaction with the outcomes of his work and expressing regret over his inability to implement expert recommendations effectively. However, he returned to his post later that month.

Zarif is widely known for his tenure as foreign minister under former reformist President Hassan Rouhani, during which he negotiated the 2015 Iran nuclear deal with world powers. His efforts played a pivotal role in briefly opening Iran to the West before the U.S. withdrawal from the agreement in 2018.

The security committee has requested an immediate investigation into the matter, signaling continued scrutiny of Zarif’s role in the Pezeshkian administration.