Iran: Industry, Road Ministers Resign Amid Economic Crisis

A general view of central Tehran (File photo: Reuters)
A general view of central Tehran (File photo: Reuters)
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Iran: Industry, Road Ministers Resign Amid Economic Crisis

A general view of central Tehran (File photo: Reuters)
A general view of central Tehran (File photo: Reuters)

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has accepted the resignation of Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade Mohammad Shariatmadari and Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi, Iranian presidency said on Saturday.

Rouhani and his government are under increasing pressure from deputies who blame them for Iran's economic crisis. In August, the pressure ousted two other cabinet ministers, the Labor and Economy Ministers, after withdrawing confidence.

The Iranian presidency said on its website, according to Agence France-Presse, that Rouhani accepted the ministers’ resignation from their positions and took the opportunity to appreciate their continuous efforts during their tenure at the ministries.

The President assigned Assistant Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade Reza Rahmani as successor to Shariatmadari, and Governor of Mazandaran (north) Mohammad Eslami as Acting Minister of Roads and Urban Development.

According to media reports, the two ministers submitted their resignation to Rouhani more than a month ago, when parliament was preparing for a vote of confidence.

Rumors circulated in mid-September that Shariatmadari had submitted his resignation, but his ministry rushed to deny the news.

On Saturday, Akhoundi published his resignation letter, which he had signed on September 1, and attributed the reason for stepping down to "differences" which he did not clarify their nature.

In August, the parliament dismissed ministers of Labor and Economic because of the way they handled the country's severe economic crisis, which was aggravated by US sanctions imposed after US President Donald Trump decided to withdraw from a nuclear deal signed in 2015 on Iran’s nuclear program.

In August, Rouhani was forced to appear before the parliament to answer deputies' questions about the deteriorating economic situation, in a questioning session he had never undergone during his five years of office.



Spain Says Over 550 Migrants Reached its Canary Islands in 2 Days

A wooden boat used by migrants from Morocco is seen at the coast of the Canary Island on Friday, Oct.16, 2020. (AP Photo/Javier Bauluz, File)
A wooden boat used by migrants from Morocco is seen at the coast of the Canary Island on Friday, Oct.16, 2020. (AP Photo/Javier Bauluz, File)
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Spain Says Over 550 Migrants Reached its Canary Islands in 2 Days

A wooden boat used by migrants from Morocco is seen at the coast of the Canary Island on Friday, Oct.16, 2020. (AP Photo/Javier Bauluz, File)
A wooden boat used by migrants from Morocco is seen at the coast of the Canary Island on Friday, Oct.16, 2020. (AP Photo/Javier Bauluz, File)

More than 550 migrants have arrived in Spain’s Canary Islands in boats over the past two days, Spain’s maritime rescue service said Thursday. At least one body was found in one of the boats.

The Spanish archipelago off northwest Africa is continuing to experience large numbers of migrant arrivals as more people mainly from West Africa attempt the dangerous Atlantic crossing in ramshackle boats. In the first half of January, 3,409 migrants reached Spain by sea, the vast majority to the Canaries, Interior Ministry figures showed. About as many migrants came illegally during the same period last year.

In 2024, Spain received a record number of migrants who crossed illegally via sea, with more than 61,000 people having arrived on boats. Nearly 47,000 of those landed in the Canary Islands. They included several thousand unaccompanied minors, The AP reported.

The islands are roughly 65 miles (105 kilometers) from the closest point in Africa, but to avoid security forces, many migrants attempt longer journeys that can take days or weeks. The majority last year departed from Mauritania, which is at least 473 miles (762 kilometers) from the closest Canary Island, El Hierro.

Earlier this month, the Spanish migration rights group Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders) said that 50 people had died in the capsizing of a boat on its way to the Canary Islands. It reported that 44 of them were from Pakistan.

The European Union's border agency, Frontex, said irregular crossings into the bloc in 2024 fell 38% overall but rose by 18% on the Atlantic route between West Africa and the Canary Islands. It attributed the rise in part to more migrants leaving from Mauritania, which has become a primary point of departure for people attempting to reach Europe.

The International Organization for Migration recorded at least 5,000 migrants who died or went missing on the migratory route since it began keeping records in 2014. But Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders) says the real death toll is significantly higher, and that over 10,000 people died or went missing while attempting the route last year alone.

Caminando Fronteras says it compiles its own figures from families of migrants and rescue statistics.