Iran: Vice President dismissed after expensive trip to Antarctica

Iranian president, Massoud Pezeshkian, dismissed his vice president in charge of parliamentary affairs on Saturday following an expensive trip to Antarctica, amid hyperinflation and an economic crisis strangling households. A photo published on social media recently showed Shahram Dabiri alongside a woman presented as his wife, posing near the Plancius, a cruise ship offering luxurious expeditions in Antarctica since 2009.

"In a context where economic pressure on the population is still high (...), expensive recreational trips by officials, even at their own expense, are neither defensible nor justifiable," criticized the Iranian president in a letter published Saturday by the official Irna agency. The agency adds that Massoud Pezeshkian "dismisses" Mr. Dabiri, one of his vice presidents. A 64-year-old doctor by profession and close confidant of President Pezeshkian, Mr. Dabiri was appointed to this position in August 2024.

The government faced sharp criticism after the publication of the photo, and several of Mr. Pezeshkian's supporters urged the dismissal of this vice president. On March 26, the Irna agency, citing "a member of Dabiri's office," claimed the trip was made when the now-ex-vice president "held no responsibilities" in the government.

This incident is a new setback for President Pezeshkian, elected last year with the promise to revive the economy and improve the daily lives of his fellow citizens. In early March, his Minister of Economy, Abdolnasser Hemmati, was dismissed by the Parliament, amid a sharp depreciation of the national currency against the dollar and soaring inflation.

This trend has particularly accelerated since the return in January of U.S. President Donald Trump to the White House, whose first term was marked by a so-called "maximum pressure" policy against Iran and the reinstatement of sanctions.

The Plancius, built in 1976 and initially an oceanographic research vessel, was completely refurbished in 2009 to offer cruises. It has about 50 cabins, a restaurant, and can accommodate a maximum of 108 passengers, according to travel agency descriptions. For reference, one of them charges from 3,885 euros per person for an eight-day cruise in July aboard the Plancius.