Tasnim � More than 150 Iranian lawmakers asked President Hassan Rouhani to turn down Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif�s resignation, while the president's chief of staff has rejected reports that the president has accepted the top diplomat�s resignation.

In comments on Tuesday morning, rapporteur of the Parliament�s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said a group of lawmakers have sent a letter to President Hassan Rouhani to voice support for Foreign Minister Zarif.

The letter, signed by 150 parliamentarians, has asked the president to turn down Zarif�s resignation and encourage him to remain in his post.

Last night, Foreign Minister Zarif announced his resignation from the cabinet in a post on his Instagram account.

�Many thanks for the generosity of the dear and brave people of Iran and its authorities over the past 67 months. I sincerely apologize for the inability to continue serving and for all the shortcomings during my service. Be happy and worthy,� Zarif wrote on his Instagram page on Monday night.

Meanwhile, the Iranian president's chief of staff, Mahmoud Vaezi, has rejected media reports that the president has accepted Zarif�s resignation.

�The reports that the president has accepted Dr. Zarif�s resignation are strongly rejected,� Vaezi said in a post on his Twitter account.