Iranian parliament registers initiative to impeach Foreign Minister Araghchi — Deutsche Welle
Pressure on the government of President Masoud Pezeshkian has intensified in Iran’s parliament: hardline supporters are seeking the impeachment of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The impeachment initiative was registered on the parliamentary online portal by Tehran lawmaker Amirhossein Sabeti, Deutsche Welle reports.
Claims against the foreign minister
The reason for the discontent was Araghchi’s meeting with U.S. negotiators on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Critics accuse the minister of holding negotiations without official authorization.
Another lawmaker, Hossein-Ali Haji-Deligani, said that parliament could use its oversight powers, including considering impeachment. To move this procedure forward, lawmakers need to collect the required number of signatures.
Political analyst Ali Afshari told DW that the conservative wing of the authorities is shifting responsibility for negotiations with the United States onto elected institutions and moderate government representatives. According to him, the Foreign Ministry does not make decisions independently but carries out government instructions.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Economic pressure and the resignation of the oil minister
The domestic political confrontation is taking place amid significant economic pressure on Iran. Oil exports, one of the country’s main sources of income, have sharply declined due to the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, DW writes.
An additional factor was the resignation of Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad. Officially, it was explained by personal reasons. Energy strategist Umud Shokri said that a change in the head of the oil ministry was unlikely to affect the situation.
According to Shokri’s assessment, opaque networks have emerged in Iran that make it possible to export oil despite sanctions and limit government control over key revenues. He also said that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps plays an important role in organizing and controlling such operations.
