Controversy Over Deputy Behdaripour's 'Trip' to Antarctica Amid Iran's Economic Crisis

Following reports of a 'costly trip' by one of the deputies of Masoud Behdaripour, the President of Iran, at a time when the people are facing numerous economic problems, the government was compelled to respond. The public relations office of the parliamentary deputy of the presidency of Iran on Wednesday, April 6, labeled these reports as 'fabrications' and 'rumors,' stating that the trip of Shahram Dabiri, the parliamentary deputy, to Antarctica 'is not true.' The government's official statement reads: 'The rumor regarding the trip of the parliamentary deputy of the president to Antarctica is not true, and the published images are old.' This statement refers to photos that Mr. Dabiri's wife posted on Instagram on April 3 and deleted shortly thereafter. One of these photos shows Shahram Dabiri and his wife in front of a tourist ship named 'Plancius,' which was indeed embarking on a journey to Antarctica on that very day. This ship departs from the southernmost point of Argentina; two photos of Shahram Dabiri and his wife were also published in Buenos Aires, the capital of this country. The news of the two-week costly trip to Antarctica was released at a time when people in Iran are facing high prices for essential goods, and especially in recent months, the economic capacity of the people has been decreasing day by day. Simultaneously, on the first working day of the new year, the prices of various foreign currencies in Iran saw a sudden jump, with the price of one US dollar increasing by five thousand tomans compared to the last day of the year 1403, surpassing one hundred thousand tomans. Critics of Masoud Behdaripour's government, which has been ineffective in solving the country's economic problems, say that the deputy's trip under these circumstances is merely rubbing salt into the wounds of the people. In this context, Mohammad Mohajeri, a conservative media activist and one of these critics, wrote: 'If the news is true, even if that dear traveler did so with his own money and without using public funds, it certainly does not align with the Nahj al-Balagha style of Mr. Behdaripour and should be set aside as an inappropriate appendage to the government.' Following the news of this trip, Shahram Dabiri has also been accused on some news sites of appointing his relatives and acquaintances to government positions. Dabiri, who is a professor at Tabriz University, has a history of membership in the Tabriz City Council and the Supreme Council of Provinces. The IRNA news agency reported in June 2019 that he was arrested by the IRGC Intelligence for financial corruption while serving as the head of the Tabriz City Council. Iranian media later reported that he was acquitted of this charge and even confirmed his eligibility for the sixth term of the council elections.