Ambiguity in the Approval of the 'Seventh Development Plan' in the Expediency Discernment Council; Amoli Larijani Opposes Increasing Retirement Age

The head of the Expediency Discernment Council opposed the increase in retirement age, casting doubt on the approval of this issue in the review of the 'Seventh Development Plan' by the Council. According to Sadegh Amoli Larijani, this matter was not based on expert work and lacked necessary consideration. Amoli Larijani criticized the economic policies of President Ebrahim Raisi's government, stating that with inflation exceeding 40%, workers cannot have a 'reasonable livelihood.' He also reported the government's disregard for the Council's opinions, mentioning that in a specialized meeting with the President, they emphasized the need to secure basic goods and necessities for the vulnerable segments of society before price liberalization, which was 'not taken into account.' Amid rising protests against the recent parliamentary decision to 'increase the retirement age,' the Tehran Islamic Councils Association also requested 'non-approval' of it in a letter to the Guardian Council. The Free Workers Union of Iran harshly criticized the approval of the government's bill to increase the retirement age, calling it an act of 'exploiting the corpses of workers and wage earners.' Reports indicate that since the approval of this article in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, there have been numerous protests, even from labor and professional organizations recognized by the Islamic Republic. Foad Keykhosravi, a member of the board of directors of the Free Workers Union of Iran, stated in an interview with Voice of America that there is a legal objection to the retirement age increase, as it violates the contracts of employees with employers on one hand and contracts with the Social Security Organization and other pension funds on the other. The review of the Islamic Republic's 'Seventh Development Plan' in the Islamic Consultative Assembly continues, and according to the spokesperson for the Guardian Council, this council has also begun its 'informal' assessment of it. In recent years, the Expediency Discernment Council has been tasked by Ali Khamenei with ensuring that parliamentary resolutions align with the general policies of the system as communicated by the 'Guardian of the Jurisprudence' and provides separate opinions on parliamentary resolutions. What do supporters and opponents of increasing the retirement age in Iran say? Explanation by Roozbeh Bovaleri.