SAEDNEWS: Since the formation of the 14th government until now, Pezeshkian’s cabinet has witnessed changes. So far, 3 of his ministers and deputies have left the government. Now, reports indicate that new changes are underway in the government.
According to the political service of Saed News, quoting Khabar Online, although one year has passed since the formation of the 14th government, Masoud Pezeshkian’s cabinet has already undergone changes. The resignation of the Strategic Deputy of the President, the dismissal of the Parliamentary Deputy, the impeachment of the former Minister of Economy, and even the withdrawal of the President’s senior advisor are among the government’s changes.
The policy of Pezeshkian’s government in cabinet reshuffles
The process of change in the 14th government has its own philosophy. Masoud Pezeshkian, with the discourse of national unity and in unplanned conditions, took the helm of Pasteur. He tried to allocate a seat in Pasteur to all political factions in order to keep them satisfied. But even this discourse could not keep all the government’s supporters and opponents happy. On one side, the Stability Front and hardliners were angry because their power in the government was limited. On the other side, the reformist camp—but not the Reformists as a whole—demanded a share in the government and were dissatisfied with the small number of reformists in the cabinet.
On the other side of the field, the presence of some members of the 13th government in Pasteur, even in key cabinet positions such as the head of the Central Bank or the Minister of Energy, was accompanied by criticism from another political and economic faction, as well as public opinion. This faction criticized the presence of these figures in the government, considering them as a continuation of the economic situation left by the late Raisi’s administration. Especially since, during this past year, Aliabadi and Farzin each made numerous miscalculations in the issues of imbalance, energy shortages, and the dollar reaching the historic record of 100,000 tomans.
Nevertheless, Masoud Pezeshkian has so far resisted the insistence of experts calling for changes in these two cabinet members, who, apart from creating costs against the government, have shown no positive results. He asked for them to be given about a year’s time. In fact, even when disputes within the government’s economic team—particularly between Hemmati, Farzin, and Tayebnia—reached their peak, he believed that one year from the start of the government must pass before he could implement changes such as dismissing Farzin from the governorship of the Central Bank. He even, with his unannounced presence at the Central Bank, sent the message that for now he had no intention of dismissing Farzin.
Indeed, the President himself once said in November of last year, in response to criticisms and insistence on the necessity of cabinet changes: “My overall evaluation of the selection of ministers, governors, and senior government managers has been good overall. Although it may still be far from our ideal situation, we believe that even these changes, which were previously impossible, are great achievements that we must value and not create divisions under various pretexts.” Now, as Government Week and the one-year anniversary of the 14th cabinet approach, it seems Pezeshkian has somewhat retreated from his stance. Reports from the government indicate that changes in the economic team are on the way.
Outputs of Pezeshkian’s Government
However, contrary to Masoud Pezeshkian’s will, four members of his cabinet have so far bid farewell. Among these four, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Ali Tayebnia, and Abdolnaser Hemmati had a significant impact on the president’s victory in July 2024. But sooner than expected, they were sidelined from the government. Although it cannot be denied that Zarif and Hemmati said goodbye to the fourteenth cabinet due to the wrath of parliament representatives and the political maneuvering of government opponents, the government’s weak performance in supporting them is also undeniable.
Also, Ali Tayebnia, who from the very first days was predicted to have a more prominent presence in the government and to be introduced as Minister of Economy or head of the Central Bank, was ultimately appointed as the president’s senior advisor. An advisor who was even present on Pezeshkian’s first trip to New York; but due to severe disagreements within the government’s economic team, he withdrew from further cooperation with Pezeshkian.
Shahram Dabiri, who had a long-standing friendship with Masoud Pezeshkian, was dismissed by the president due to his costly trip to the South Pole during Nowruz, in the unfavorable economic conditions of society, and, of course, his denial of it. However, different accounts are raised about the departure of these figures from the government. It seems that some individuals close to Pezeshkian also influenced their exit.
Change in the Government’s Economic Team?
For several days now, some media outlets have been writing about the necessity of changes in the government’s economic team, and the performance of some ministers and officials has come under heavy criticism. Practically every day, a new report against some of them is published. Although these reports are immediately denied, they still have negative effects in the current situation of the country.
But will the government make changes in the cabinet, or will Pezeshkian once again insist on keeping his statesmen? Reports suggest that one of the ministers who has recently come under sharp criticism is Gholamreza Nouri Ghazaljeh, Minister of Agriculture Jihad. Last year, he gave up his parliamentary seat to secure the ministerial post; nowadays, due to the high price of rice and its hoarding, the rise in the prices of eggs and legumes, and rumors and allegations such as a 1.5 billion toman management bonus and poor management in the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad, he is on the verge of dismissal.
Also, Mohammad Reza Farzin, due to his poor performance in the Central Bank and the strange dollar records, appears to be nearing the end of his tenure and will soon bid farewell to the government.
Abbas Aliabadi, with his background as deputy energy minister in electricity and energy affairs, has failed during his tenure as Minister of Energy to make use of his past experiences and has shown weak performance. His mistakes, who was Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade under Raisi’s government, have caused the very MPs who once supported him to now become his staunch critics and demand his impeachment. One of Aliabadi’s most significant mistakes was related to the “Two Degrees Less” campaign last winter. At that time, people faced two-hour daily power cuts, which even led to disputes between the Ministries of Energy and Oil. Aliabadi’s performance, given that he was a remnant of the conservative thirteenth government, raised suspicions among many that perhaps his performance would become the Achilles’ heel of the fourteenth government — a prediction that has not been far off the mark.
This was a mistake that Pezeshkian admitted, saying: “They had said that gas should be cut off from Aban (October–November). With the management that was carried out, we passed the danger and crisis of gas cut-off. Anyway, we paid a cost for it. We did not want to burn mazut. The Minister of Energy had said that if we impose two hours of blackouts, the problem would be solved, but the calculation was not correct, and we realized that even if we imposed blackouts for a whole day, the problem would not be solved.”
Now, as the imbalance crisis has worsened and the Ministry of Energy has failed to show proper management, it seems that Aliabadi is also on the verge of leaving Pasteur. However, although the government has so far insisted on keeping Aliabadi, Farzin, and even Nouri Ghazaljeh in its team, given the difficult situation of the country, it remains to be seen whether it will continue to insist on this or pave the way for their exit from the cabinet.
In fact, it must be said that continuing to insist on keeping inefficient figures will impose heavy political and economic costs on the government. This year’s Government Week is a test for Pezeshkian to show whether he has the will for real change in the management of the country or will continue wasting opportunities and putting the pressure of crises on the people’s shoulders.
