Tehran, Iran – – Iran’s Parliament advocated Sunday to the country’s Minister of Economy and voted to get him out of office, amid growing concerns about the Rial Rial and the accusations of poor management.
The president of Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, announced that 182 of 273 legislators voted to dismiss Abdolnasser Hemmati, only six months after President Masoud Pezeshkian’s government assumed the position.
Pezeshkian, who defended Hemmati, emphasized that the government is locked in a hard battle with the West. He asked for a greater unity and cooperation of Parliament to face these challenges.
The decision is produced in the midst of the growing tensions about Iran’s nuclear program and the worsening of relations with the West. Iran’s economy has been severely affected by international sanctions, especially after the United States withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement. In 2015, the Rial was worth 32,000 to the dollar, but when Pe fishhkian assumed the position in July, he had collapsed to 584,000 to the dollar. Recently, it fell even more, with exchange stores in Tehran that trades 930,000 rials for every dollar.
During political trial procedures, Mohammad Qasim Osmani, a legislator who supported Hemmati, argued that the increase in inflation and change rates were not the fault of the current government or parliament. He pointed out the budget deficit left by the previous administration, which he contributed to economic instability. Osmani also cited recent geopolitical events such as factors that undermined public confidence, which caused many people to turn their savings into foreign currency, which in turn devalued even more to the Rial.
Hemmati recognized the hard economic climate during his five months in office, including a 10% reduction in inflation. However, he acknowledged that inflation remained high, with 35%. He assured the legislators that his team was working hard to address the problem, but warned that the process would take time.
This last development is another chapter in the continuous political and economic struggles of Iran as the country continues to browse a complex relationship with its leadership and the international community.
