Iranian Lawmakers want Answers from Rouhani on Economy

One hundred and twenty of Iran’s 290 legislators have signed a letter calling on President Hassan Rouhani to appear in parliament to answer questions about the country’s struggling economy. Analysts say this could lead to a motion for impeachment, although Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Republic’s most senior authority, would probably block this owing to mounting tensions with the United States. The US reinstated crippling economic sanctions on Iran when President Donald Trump withdrew from a multilateral agreement governing Tehran’s nuclear research efforts in 2018. Since then, the rial has plunged in value against foreign currencies and basic commodities are sometimes in short supply. “The lawmakers have various questions for the president, including the reasons behind the foreign exchange market crisis as well as the high prices of basic goods and basic necessities of the people today,” parliamentarian Eqbal Shakeri was quoted as saying by the Tasnim news agency.