Nobakht: I Have Requested Resignation, but the President Will Not Agree

Following the news about changes in the cabinet of the twelfth government, Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the government spokesperson, stated that although he is 'ready' to resign from the government, he has not been able to convince Hassan Rouhani to agree to his resignation from his responsibilities. Nobakht, who is both the government spokesperson and the head of the Planning and Budget Organization, announced early Wednesday that he has requested to 'resign from all government responsibilities.' On Wednesday (July 25), during a cabinet meeting, he said, 'I submitted my resignation to give the President more flexibility, but I could not convince him to do so.' Recent statements by Mahmoud Vaezi, the head of Hassan Rouhani's office, regarding the review of changes at the top of several ministries have fueled speculation about early changes among economic ministers due to fluctuations in the currency and gold markets in Iran. Vaezi stated that 'the conditions require some cabinet members, who were appointed by the President under normal circumstances, to be changed.' Nobakht continued his remarks by stating that 'now is not the time for political reckoning,' expressing his desire that 'since my presence cannot benefit the people with all this effort, perhaps my departure from the government could help.' Nobakht did not provide further explanations but mentioned that 'on the one hand, insisting on leaving responsibilities in the current conditions seems like opportunism, and some may say that individuals are seeking comfort.' These remarks about changes in Rouhani's cabinet come at a time when the President and several members of his cabinet have consistently attributed the country's economic problems and fluctuations in the currency and gold markets to factors outside the government. It is unclear how these changes, the extent of which is not specified, could impact the economic performance of Rouhani's current cabinet, which has not yet completed a year in office. Nevertheless, the demand for changes and 'surgery' in the twelfth cabinet, especially what is termed 'youthfulness,' has been repeatedly raised by the government's opponents. Some opponents believe that the path taken by the country's economic officials has not been 'responsive.' Mohammad Hosseini, a member of the Planning and Budget Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, also welcomed the government's action regarding the dismissal of Abdolnaser Hemmati, the former head of the Central Bank of Iran, which was also announced on Wednesday, stating, 'We are waiting for changes in other economic ministries.' He urged Rouhani to 'bring about changes more quickly in the ministries of industry, economy, labor, and welfare,' adding that 'in the current economic war conditions, we do not have room for trial and error.' Since the announcement of the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA by Donald Trump, the U.S. President, the currency and gold markets in Iran have experienced serious fluctuations, affecting the prices of other goods in the country. The news of changes in the cabinet comes as concerns in Iran are rising with the approach of the reinstatement of sanctions in October and the U.S. efforts to reduce Iran's crude oil sales to zero.