A Member of Parliament Says No One in the Government Accepts Responsibility for Inflation and Price Increases

A current and disqualified representative in the 12th parliamentary elections has stated that a necessary condition for Ebrahim Raisi to remain in the presidency is to change the cabinet members, adding that no one is accountable for the price increases and no one accepts responsibility for the current situation. Shahryar Heydari raises the issue of cabinet changes while the economic team of Ebrahim Raisi's government has undergone fundamental changes over the past three years, with the Minister of Economy being one of the key cabinet members facing potential changes, and rumors of this change have been circulating in the media for several days. Heydari believes that 'no one in the government accepts responsibility for inflation and price increases; they only praise themselves.' This parliament member considers the appointments in Raisi's government a 'strategic error' and stated that 'if the government surveys the people, it will conclude that fundamental changes need to be made in the cabinet.' Mohammad Hossein Farhangi, a member of the Industries and Mines Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, also commented on the necessity of changing the government's economic team, saying, 'If I were in charge, I would have changed it a long time ago, and I consider the Ministry of Economy to be in greater need of change.' Meanwhile, the website 'Economie News' reported on the 18th of Farvardin that Ebrahim Raisi's cabinet is entering its third year of activity, having faced a large volume of changes so far, which is considered unprecedented. This media outlet noted the resignations of ministers and the head of the Central Bank, as well as the impeachment of the Minister of Industry, Mines, and Trade, and the dismissal of the Minister of Agricultural Jihad as various parts of the main and significant cabinet changes of the thirteenth government. 'Economie News' also mentioned the withdrawal of Mohsen Rezaei from Raisi's economic team, emphasizing that Rezaei was added to Raisi's cabinet with high hopes for 'transforming the economic conditions of the country' but suddenly resigned from the position of Economic Vice President last June. Meanwhile, rumors about changes in Ebrahim Raisi's economic team intensified on 'Friday, April 17, 1403,' with the publication of news about the dismissal of the Minister of Economy, suggesting that the government views market management and price control as shock therapy. The 'Tasnim' news agency, affiliated with security institutions, denied the reports regarding the dismissal of Ehsan Khandouzi from the Ministry of Economy, stating that this news was published by 'anti-government accounts.' The news of Khandouzi's dismissal prompted a government response, with Ehsan Khalaji, the head of the government's information council, emphasizing in a message on the filtered social media platform X that 'fueling inflationary expectations is one of the main strategies in spreading false news, and the suggestion of instability in the government's economic team should be analyzed within this framework.' Khalaji labeled critical media with derogatory terms and wrote, 'Economic terrorists, alongside the terrorists of the attacks in Damascus and Chabahar, are bombarding public opinion with false news.' This official linked the demands and concerns of the people with security issues and emphasized that 'increasing uncertainty and fueling inflationary expectations are their main strategies these days. The suggestion of instability in the government's economic team through the production of fake news should be analyzed and tracked within this framework.' The Ministry of Economy also accused critics of the current economic conditions and those spreading news about the minister's dismissal of 'waging war against the government,' stating: 'Rumor-mongering about the government's economic team, which is tirelessly working in the field of imposed economic warfare, is, whether intentionally or unintentionally, another tool against the government and the people of Iran in this campaign.' The stickiness of inflation above 40 percent, the surge in the dollar price to over 65,000 tomans, a negative trade balance, a decrease in production capacity in the country, and the lack of alignment between economic statistics and societal realities are among the issues that government critics cite to call for changes in Ebrahim Raisi's cabinet. Although many believe that all these problems stem from the inefficiency of the Islamic Republic system and that changes such as cabinet reshuffles will not improve the political and economic situation in the country. Participants in a special program discussed the impact of inflation and price increases on life and the high costs of Nowruz. Audience views from Voice of America regarding Khamenei's Nowruz slogans amid rampant inflation and price increases. Protests over living conditions in Iran; retirees, welfare workers, and diesel vehicle drivers gathered. A sociologist stated: 'Livelihood' is the most pressing concern of the people in the new year. Several labor and retirees' organizations stated: There is no way left but the streets.