A committee of Iranian lawmakers has been formed to summon and question President Hassan Rouhani, which could potentially lead to a vote of confidence that could he seem removed from power.
According to a report by the semi-official Fars news agency today, lawmaker Mojtaba Zolnour has been collecting signatures from other lawmakers to support the president’s impeachment.
According to the news agency, the lawmakers want to impeach Rouhani over 14 issues related to the economy, including causing damage to Iran’s national interests, failure to deal with unemployment, failure to manage and control the exchange market, as well as failure to control the prices of basic materials.
Rouhani’s second term has seen mounting pressure from conservative lawmakers, after the United States unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and re-imposed economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
“We hear the sound of the breaking bones of poor classes under economic pressure. We apologize to you for failing to act according to our authority and mandate,” said Iranian parliamentarian Mohammad Reza Tabesh.
Meanwhile, Rouhani’s supporters say “the pressure exerted by conservatives on his government serves only [US President Donald] Trump’s policy toward Iran,” adding: “If the government collapses, both conservatives and moderates will pay the price.”
