Members of the Iranian parliament have dismissed the country’s industry minister because of his failure to control rising prices of manufactured products.
Reza Fatemi Amin, the Iranian Cabinet member responsible for Ministry of Mine, Industry and Trade (MIMT) was sacked from his job on Sunday after failing to secure enough votes to survive an impeachment motion in the parliament.
Some 162 lawmakers voted to support the impeachment motion which was opposed by 102 other parliamentarians, said a report by the official IRNA news agency, adding that two lawmakers abstained from voting and six votes were dismissed.
Fatemi Amin is the first minister unseated from President Ebrahim Raeisi’s administration since he took office in August 2021.
The minister, who had survived a first impeachment motion in November, has been widely criticized by lawmakers for his lack of control on rising prices of manufactured goods in Iran, including the prices of domestically-produced cars.
The MIMT has been dubbed a super-ministry in Iran due to its extensive missions which cover issues related to manufacturing, trade and agriculture.