Iranian hardliners push to oust foreign minister amid worsening economy

In Iran’s parliament, hardline legislators have initiated an impeachment motion against Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, accusing him of conducting unauthorized negotiations with U.S. officials in New York. Amirhossein Sabeti notified speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf of the filing, and Hossein-Ali Haji-Deligani highlighted the chamber’s constitutional tools, though a sufficient number of signatures is still required. The effort intensifies internal disputes within President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration, which is already under strain from a deteriorating economy and a U.S. blockade that has sharply cut oil revenues.

The recent resignation of Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad, officially for personal reasons, is unlikely to reverse the fiscal decline, according to energy analyst Umud Shokri. Shokri also warned that opaque oil-export networks, often linked to the IRGC, limit the government’s control over vital income streams, further fueling political friction.