Iran’s parliament sacked the minister of economic affairs and finance on Sunday, amid a sharp fall in the rial currency and a deterioration in the economic situation.
The Rial has lost half its value since April The United States reimposed some sanctions in early August and a 2nd set targeting Iran’s oil industry is due to take effect in November.
The Iranian parliament backed the removal from office of Masoud Karbasian, minister of finance and economic affairs, by 137 votes to 121 against.
The sacking was the latest in a continuing shakeup of top economic personnel with lawmakers voting out the minister of labor in April and last month President Hassan Rouhani replaced the head of the central bank.
The U.S. sanctions, reimposed after President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of a 2015 international deal aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear program, have exacerbated an already difficult economic situation in Iran.
Protests linked to the tough economic situation in Iran began last December, spreading to more than 80 cities and towns and resulting in 25 deaths.
