Iran President Dismisses Deputy Over Controversial Antarctica Trip
Amid a severe economic crisis, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian terminates his deputy for parliamentary affairs following backlash over an expensive personal trip to Antarctica.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has dismissed Shahram Dabiri, the deputy for parliamentary affairs, in response to public outcry regarding a luxury trip to Antarctica.
The dismissal was announced on Saturday, coinciding with ongoing economic challenges in Iran, including hyperinflation and rising public discontent.
A photograph posted on social media showed Dabiri and his wife next to the Plancius, a Dutch-flagged cruise ship known for its expedition services to Antarctica.
Reports indicate the cost of an eight-day voyage on the ship is approximately 3,885 euros per person.
Pezeshkian criticized expensive leisure activities by officials in a letter to state news agency IRNA, stating that such actions are unjustifiable amid high economic pressures on the Iranian populace.
The president emphasized that even trips funded privately by officials lack justification in the current economic climate.
Dabiri, a 64-year-old physician with a close relationship to Pezeshkian, was appointed to his position in August but faced significant criticism once the details of his trip became public.
Supporters of Pezeshkian pressured him to act following the emergence of the photograph.
An unnamed source from Dabiri's office reportedly claimed that the trip was made prior to his appointment as deputy.
This incident represents a significant challenge for Pezeshkian, who assumed office promising economic revitalization and improving living conditions for citizens.
Compounding the political difficulties, the Iranian parliament recently dismissed Economy Minister Abdolnasser Hemmati amid sharp declines in the value of the national currency against the US dollar and escalating inflation rates.
The dismissal was announced on Saturday, coinciding with ongoing economic challenges in Iran, including hyperinflation and rising public discontent.
A photograph posted on social media showed Dabiri and his wife next to the Plancius, a Dutch-flagged cruise ship known for its expedition services to Antarctica.
Reports indicate the cost of an eight-day voyage on the ship is approximately 3,885 euros per person.
Pezeshkian criticized expensive leisure activities by officials in a letter to state news agency IRNA, stating that such actions are unjustifiable amid high economic pressures on the Iranian populace.
The president emphasized that even trips funded privately by officials lack justification in the current economic climate.
Dabiri, a 64-year-old physician with a close relationship to Pezeshkian, was appointed to his position in August but faced significant criticism once the details of his trip became public.
Supporters of Pezeshkian pressured him to act following the emergence of the photograph.
An unnamed source from Dabiri's office reportedly claimed that the trip was made prior to his appointment as deputy.
This incident represents a significant challenge for Pezeshkian, who assumed office promising economic revitalization and improving living conditions for citizens.
Compounding the political difficulties, the Iranian parliament recently dismissed Economy Minister Abdolnasser Hemmati amid sharp declines in the value of the national currency against the US dollar and escalating inflation rates.
