What Happened: Iran's parliament voted to censure President Hassan Rouhani after he blamed the country's financial woes on the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal during an appearance before lawmakers to defend his government's response to the economic crisis, Reuters reported Aug. 28.
Why It Matters: Rouhani represents an Iranian faction that wants to remain engaged with the rest of the world and respond pragmatically to the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal, but the vote against him indicates that he is losing influence and could even face impeachment. If Rouhani loses his seat, new elections could give greater power to hard-line, anti-American factions.
Background: Iran's economy has suffered under U.S. sanctions, particularly after the United States pulled out of the nuclear deal. Iran's labor minister was recently sacked, followed by the country's economy minister on Aug. 26.
Read More:
- Back Under U.S. Sanctions, Iran Looks for a Plan B (July 23, 2018)
- Pakistan, Iran and the Financial Fight Against Terrorism (July 13, 2018)
- Iran: How Economic Protests Are Exacerbating Internal Government Rivalries (June 27, 2018)
