Motions for the impeachment of Iran's economy and oil ministers have been officially submitted to parliament's leadership, lawmaker Ahmad Naderi told Tasnim News Agency on Saturday.
"So far, the impeachment of Mohsen Paknejad, the Minister of Oil, with 23 signatures, and the impeachment of Abdolnaser Hemmati, the Minister of Economy, with over 70 signatures, have been officially registered in the parliament system," Naderi said.
Meanwhile, on the same day, President Masoud Pezeshkian criticized corruption in Iran's economy, which is mostly controlled and regulated by the government.
"In a situation where the allocation of preferential currency rates to certain individuals in both the public and private sectors has turned into quotas and insider privileges, leaving others at a disadvantage, how can such a market be considered competitive? This process certainly needs reform," he said.
Iran is grappling with a dire economic situation, with its currency, the rial, depreciating by over 30% since September. This decline has been driven by regional conflicts and setbacks in Syria and Lebanon.
In late December, business owners and workers in Tehran’s historic bazaar staged a rare strike to protest runaway inflation and soaring foreign currency rates. The strike sparked similar demonstrations in other commercial hubs across the capital.
Unrest in the historic heart of Iran’s commerce reflects the grim state of the country’s economy. In 1979, protests in the bazaar were a precursor to the Islamic Revolution that overthrew the monarchy, underscoring the political significance of such discontent.
