Iranian Parliament ‘begins procedures to depose ministers’

Iranian MPs started taking measures to depose education and industry ministers in an escalation of pressure on President Hassan Rouhani. According to Iranian sources, dozens of MPs are demanding the removal of the two ministers on charges related to economic failure and corruption in the educational system.

On Sunday, the Iranian Islamic Consultative Assembly withdrew its confidence from Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Masoud Karbasian, amid severe economic repercussions faced by the Iranian government after the US reimposed sanctions on Iran.

Karbasian lost the vote of confidence by 137 votes to 121, while two MPs abstained from voting, which made him the second minister in the government of President Hassan Rouhani to be removed from office this month.

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33 deputies signed a request to question Karbasian, submitted to the Presidency of the Assembly, accusing the Minister of the failure to manage the economy in light of the severe economic crisis that from which Iran suffers.

The accountability of Iran’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance increased pressure on President Hassan Rouhani, who has already been criticised by conservatives over his handling of the economic file under new US sanctions.