Minister of Labor: They Receive Money from the Government and Publish Administrative Letters Against It

Ali Rabei, the Minister of Labor, Welfare and Social Affairs, who is one of the authors of an economic warning letter to the Iranian President, stated that the subject was 'extremely simple' and that its publication by organizations receiving funds from the government is 'political mischief.' On the night of October 8, during a special news program on Iranian state television, the Minister described the public release of a letter from four ministers as 'the peak of political mischief' and expressed disbelief that 'some people would go to such lengths to undermine the government on any pretext.' Some Iranian news agencies published the text of a letter on October 4, written by Ali Tayebnia, the Minister of Economy, Ali Rabei, the Minister of Labor, Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh, the Minister of Industry, and Hossein Dehghan, the Minister of Defense, addressed to Hassan Rouhani in mid-September. The letter requested the President to take immediate decisions to prevent the economic recession from turning into a crisis. The publication of the letter immediately sparked reactions. The Iranian Presidential Office confirmed its sending and receipt. The Minister of Industry emphasized that it was written at the request of the President, and the government spokesman stated it should have been written 'confidentially.' According to ILNA news agency, Mr. Rabei also mentioned that 'the President's approach is that even when we speak verbally, in order to make decisions and issue orders, matters should be documented.' The Minister of Labor also added that the publication of this letter did not bring any protests within the cabinet. He stated that it is unethical for some organizations to receive government budgets and then establish media outlets to publish simple administrative letters against the government. Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the government spokesman, had previously emphasized that the letter sent to the President was nothing 'more than a report.' The ministers defended the economic situation and performance, stating that a new package to combat the recession has been prepared, which the Iranian President will announce soon. On the other hand, Fereydoun Khavand, an economic expert at Radio Farda, noted that although the Iranian government has achieved significant successes in areas such as reducing inflation rates or the nuclear agreement, the Iranian economy is grappling with a very severe recession.