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Iran’s parliament impeaches economy minister as US sanctions bite

Iran's president defended Economy Minister Abdolnaser Hemmati, stating that Iran was in a "full-scale economic war with the enemy."

Iran's Finance Minister Abdolnaser Hemmati delivers a speech to members of parliament in Tehran during impeachment proceedings against him, on March 2, 2025. Photo by Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images.
Iran's Finance Minister Abdolnaser Hemmati delivers a speech to members of parliament in Tehran during impeachment proceedings against him, on March 2, 2025. Photo by Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images.

Iran’s parliament voted on Sunday to impeach Iranian Economy Minister Abdolnaser Hemmati, nearly eight months after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s cabinet was established, Reuters reported, citing state media.

A total of 182 out of 273 lawmakers supported his dismissal.

The move also comes nearly one month after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reimpose “maximum pressure” sanctions on Iran.

Before the vote, Pezeshkian defended Hemmati, a former central bank governor, urging lawmakers to consider the broader challenges facing the country. “We are in a full-scale economic war with the enemy … we must adopt a wartime stance,” he said.

“The economic problems our society faces today are not the fault of a single individual, and we cannot place all the blame on one person,” he added.

On Sunday, the Iranian rial traded above 920,000 per U.S. dollar on the black market, down from less than 600,000 in mid-2024.

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