Iranian president sacks deputy for ‘lavish’ Antarctic cruise

Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian dismissed one of his deputies for having made a “sumptuous” trip to Antarctic with his wife during Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

The president’s office described the trip of Shahram Dabiri as “unjustifiable and unacceptable given the current economic challenges” in Iran.

A photo of Dabiri and his wife posing in front of MV Plancius, who was intended for Antarctica, widely disseminated on social networks and caused indignation in Iran.

In a press release on Saturday, Pezeshkian said that Dabari had been dismissed vice-president of parliamentary affairs for “indefensible” actions, whether they are funded on his own pocket.

“In a government that seeks to follow the values ​​of the first Shiite Imam (Imam Ali), and in the midst of important economic pressures on our people, the sumptuous journeys of government officials, even funded by the person, are indefensible,” said Pezeshkian.

The Iranian economy is subject to significant pressure and subject to Western sanctions due in part to its support for groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, which have been interviewed by the United States, the United Kingdom and the EU.

The unemployment rate of Iran in October 2024 was 8.4%, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), while its annual inflation rate was 29.5%.

Pezeshkian said that Dabiri’s actions “clearly contradict the principle of simplicity that is essential for those who have positions of authority”.

Shipping in Antarctica to the MV Plancius would have a starting cost equivalent to $ 6,685 (£ 5,187).

Usually, visits to the coldest and least populated continent in the world are carried out by scientists and experienced explorers.

However, tourist trips on cruises have increased in popularity in recent years. The Dutch ship illustrated in Dabiri’s photo, for example, was used by the Royal Payllands Navy for military and civil research between 1976 and 2004.

It is not clear what Dabiri shipping set chose or what mode of transport took Iran in Antarctica.

On one of the many packages available online, explorers must embark and disembark from Ushuaia, one of the southern points of Argentina. The city is approximately 3,079 km (1,913 miles) from Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital.

The Iranian president was Elected last year With a promise to revive the economy and improve the daily life of Iranians. He replaced Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter accident.

The Iranian media reported that many supporters of Pezeshkian urged her to remove Dabiri from the post while the public undressed during the trip.