Government Spokesman: The Issue of the Minister of Culture's Resignation Will Be Resolved in a Few Days

The spokesman for the Iranian government responded to reports regarding the resignation of the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Ali Jannati, stating that the matter will be clarified in a few days. This is the first time a government official has indirectly confirmed the request for resignation from Ali Jannati. However, officials in Hassan Rouhani's government have neither directly confirmed nor denied the news of Jannati's resignation from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and Jannati himself has told reporters to wait a few days for the outcome to be clear. In this context, the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported on Tuesday, October 19, reflecting the statements of Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the government spokesman, who, despite the indirect reference, keeps the matter ambiguous. Nobakht, speaking to reporters about Jannati's resignation, stated: 'As the Minister of Culture said, please wait a few days. If you wait, this issue will be resolved.' Previously, reports had emerged about a potential successor to Jannati, suggesting that Hesamoddin Ashna, the cultural advisor to the Iranian president, is being considered for the position. Ashna has stated that he neither confirms nor denies these reports. On Tuesday, Fars News Agency also published a report stating that 'the selection of an acting head for the Ministry of Culture has been postponed to next week to review suitable candidates.' This news agency mentioned, besides Hesamoddin Ashna, Reza Salehi Amiri, the head of the National Library, as a potential candidate for the position of acting Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance. The reasons for Jannati's potential resignation are also a subject of much speculation. The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has recently been embroiled in protests from conservatives regarding the holding of music concerts in Razavi Khorasan province and the city of Qom, to the extent that Jannati has stated he has ruled out holding concerts in Mashhad. This stance, however, has led to a reminder from Hassan Rouhani, who stated that the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance must abide by the law. In this regard, Mohammad Yazdi stated that street theater should not be performed in Qom. The uproar over the holding of concerts has led to the resignation of the director general of culture in Qom. Newspapers are captivated by a 'resignation': Will Jannati stay or go? The Minister of Interior stated that the issue of Ali Jannati will definitely be discussed in the cabinet on Sunday.