"Some have tried to use this unfortunate situation as a means to disrupt the empathy of the brave people of this region or as a tool for short-term political goals," said Zarif on his Instagram account, according to Mehr news.
"I should emphasize that my words do not undermine a single bit of the greatness of Martyr General Soleimani and his irreplaceable role in restoring the security of Iran, the region and the world," added Zarif. "If I had known a sentence from those words would have been made public, I certainly would not have uttered it as I did in the past."
"I hope that the noble people of Iran and all the lovers of General Soleimani, and especially his family, will forgive me," added Zarif.
Zarif stated during the interview with Iranian journalist Saeed Laylaz, which was leaked by Iran International, that he was forced by Soleimani to pursue diplomacy which would further Iran's military interests in the region, but that he was never "able to ask Soleimani to do something that would serve my diplomatic moves," according to the report.
Soleimani was assassinated by the United States in a drone strike in Baghdad in January 2020.
The foreign minister also complained about Soleimani's refusal to stop using Iran's national airline to transport arms to Syria, saying that flights to Damascus increased by six times due to pressure by the former Quds Force commander.
The foreign minister additionally claimed that a visit by Soleimani to Russia after the signing of the 2015 nuclear deal was intended to torpedo it. "That trip was made upon Moscow's initiative without the Iranian Foreign Ministry having any control over it. Its objective was to destroy the JCPOA," said Zarif, according to the British-based Persian television station.The interview sparked outrage in Iran, with critics calling for the foreign minister's resignation and concerns by supporters that it could negatively impact his aspirations in the upcoming presidential elections.