Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has dismissed his deputy for parliamentary affairs, Shahram Dabiri, following a public uproar over Dabiri’s expensive trip to Antarctica. The dismissal came on Saturday, after a photo circulated on social media showing Dabiri, along with his wife, posing near the luxury Plancius cruise ship in the icy landscape. The cruise, which has offered expeditions to Antarctica since 2009, charges about 3,885 euros for an eight-day trip, drawing public ire over the perceived extravagance at a time when Iran is grappling with severe economic challenges.
The Iranian government is facing hyperinflation and a devalued currency, making life increasingly difficult for ordinary citizens. Dabiri’s trip was seen as emblematic of the disconnect between government officials and the economic struggles of the population. Despite Dabiri’s insistence that the trip was taken before his appointment to government office, the backlash was swift and intense. Critics, including some of Pezeshkian’s own supporters, called for accountability, highlighting the hypocrisy of government officials indulging in costly leisure activities while the country’s economy teeters on the brink.
In a letter released by the official IRNA news agency, President Pezeshkian explained that Dabiri’s actions were indefensible, even if the trip was funded privately. The president emphasized that, in a time of high economic pressure, such lavish expenditures by public figures could not be justified. Dabiri, a 64-year-old physician and close confidant of Pezeshkian, had been appointed to his position in August 2024.
This controversy is yet another setback for Pezeshkian’s administration, which has struggled to live up to its promises of economic revival. Earlier in the year, the president’s Economy Minister, Abdolnasser Hemmati, was dismissed after the Iranian rial plummeted against the dollar, exacerbating inflation. As the country continues to face a deepening economic crisis, the dismissal of Dabiri highlights the growing public frustration with government officials and their handling of Iran’s economic woes.
