Iran's President: We Should Not Normalize Corruption

On Tuesday, November 2, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani addressed the parliament during a confidence vote for three of his proposed ministers, referring to the publication of news regarding financial corruption and embezzlement in Iran. He stated, "If there is corruption, we must fight it, not exaggerate it and promote it in a way that it becomes normalized." Rouhani added, "If someone has sinned, they repent to God and fulfill their obligations; it is not about spreading rumors, especially false ones, so we should not normalize corruption in this Islamic country." He emphasized that the government alone cannot combat corruption and stressed the need for investment in cultural efforts to fight corruption. On September 29, he had also highlighted the necessity for a fundamental fight against corruption, stating that "corruption cannot be resolved through arrests and detentions." In his remarks on Tuesday, he accused some media outlets of labeling overdue debts in loan repayments as embezzlement. On November 1, Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, the Attorney General, reported a 1.2 trillion tomans embezzlement case involving two banks, with five individuals arrested in connection with the case. Additionally, reports of an 8 trillion tomans embezzlement in the Cultural Fund for Teachers and violations by Bank Day, as well as the controversy surrounding the so-called "astronomical pay slips" of certain managers, have made headlines in recent months. Rouhani continued his speech by emphasizing that the eleventh government faced significant challenges at the beginning of its term, including high inflation, employment issues, foreign policy, UN sanctions, and Security Council resolutions. He assessed the economic performance of his government as being on the "right" path, stating that when the government began, the inflation rate in Iran was 40%, while the current rate is less than 8%, which he deemed a "good sign" indicating the government's clear steps in macroeconomic management. Rouhani noted that Iran's economic growth has improved from a negative 6.8% under the previous administration to a projected 4.4% by the end of the year. While the Central Bank and Statistical Center have confirmed Rouhani's figures on inflation and economic growth, the "inadequacy of wages" and "low purchasing power" in Iran remain subjects of criticism. In another part of his speech, Rouhani defended his government's negotiations and agreements with the West regarding Iran's nuclear program, highlighting the continued operation of the Natanz site, the import of yellowcake to Iran, the sale of heavy water to the US and Russia, the lifting of sanctions, and the gradual opening of banking relations with the world as achievements of the nuclear deal (JCPOA). He stated that Iran's non-oil exports have surpassed imports, indicating that the main burden of the country's budget now relies on non-oil revenues. However, the nuclear agreement between Iran and the 1+5 countries, which was implemented last January, faces opposition and criticism within Iran. Rouhani also mentioned that "the conditions of our foreign relations indicate that the chosen path of constructive interaction with the world, which is part of the system's general policies, is the correct and appropriate path that has been selected." He reported a slight decrease in divorce and addiction rates in Iran over the past six months, calling it "hopeful." However, while Rouhani claims a decrease in divorce rates, Hamid Derakhshan-Nia, head of Iran's Civil Registration Organization, announced in August that the divorce rate in the first four months of this year increased by 2.2% compared to the same period last year, with marriage rates declining by the same amount. Ali Hashemi, head of the Anti-Narcotics Committee in the Expediency Discernment Council, also stated on October 15 that the number of drug addicts in Iran exceeds 2.5 million, which, considering "occasional users," could reach four million. On Tuesday, the Islamic Consultative Assembly granted confidence to all three of Rouhani's proposed ministers. In the parliamentary session, the qualifications of Reza Salehi Amiri for the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Masoud Soltani Far for the Ministry of Sports and Youth, and Fakhruddin Ahmad Danesh-Ashtiani for the Ministry of Education were approved.