TEHRAN: Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday said he favoured a "smart adjustment" between the military and diplomatic spheres, in his first public reaction after a controversial leaked audiotape.

The top diplomat wrote on Instagram that the "main point" of his remarks in the audio -- in which he says the military has too much influence on diplomacy -- is emphasising "the need for a smart adjustment of the relationship between these two wings" of Iran's power.

He also saw a need for "setting priorities through legal structures and under the great purview of the supreme leader".