Ghalibaf Signals Possible Impeachment as Inflation and Currency Crisis Deepen
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, has warned that parliament may initiate impeachment proceedings if the government fails to address Iran's economic crisis.
Amid a sharp new phase of inflation and currency volatility in Iran, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, has issued a direct warning that parliament may initiate impeachment proceedings if the government fails to deliver tangible results in curbing rising prices and stabilizing the economy. Speaking during a public parliamentary session on Sunday, December 21, Ghalibaf turned to what he described as the most urgent national concern: “the unrestrained rise in the prices of basic goods,” with particular emphasis on the sharp increases in the price of foreign currency and gold, which he said now function both as drivers and pretexts for broader inflation.
Ghalibaf stated that parliament considers it its duty to address the public’s livelihood concerns and stressed that lawmakers have been actively and seriously pursuing the issue. He noted that during the previous week—when MPs were present in their constituencies—he, together with the heads of the Economic Commission and the Planning and Budget Commission, held multiple meetings with cabinet ministers and senior government officials to examine price hikes and exchange-rate instability.
He announced that a formal oversight session would be held on Tuesday focused on preventing further erosion of household purchasing power, implementing the electronic ration-card (kalabarg) law, and managing the foreign-exchange market. The closed-door session Tuesday included five ministers, the Central Bank governor, and other senior figures, and concluded with a decision to form a five-member joint committee between parliament and the government to address structural economic imbalances. Some reports described verbal tensions during the meeting, including remarks attributed to the Central Bank governor that foreign-currency supply is not solely under his authority, a claim later downplayed by the Central Bank.
The standoff coincides with the government’s submission of the 1405 (2026–27) budget bill, which—according to the head of the Planning and Budget Organization—has been prepared under a new framework that removes four zeros from the national currency, marking the first annual budget drafted under the proposed new rial system.
Ghalibaf concluded with an explicit ultimatum: if these measures fail to produce results, parliament’s priority—“to minimize time and tension”—will be for the government to undertake cabinet reshuffles. Should the executive fail to implement what he described as necessary reforms, he said, lawmakers will be compelled to initiate the impeachment process.
The government responded by emphasizing cooperation while warning against politicization. Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said the administration has placed controlling inflation and preserving purchasing power at the top of its executive priorities. She stated that the government has taken specific measures in recent weeks to manage the currency market, strengthen oversight of essential goods, expand electronic subsidy mechanisms, and prevent further economic instability.
At the same time, Mohajerani cautioned against shifting responsibility solely onto the executive, stressing that while the government must answer for policy implementation, parliament also bears responsibility for legislation, economic structures, and the consequences of its own decisions. She argued that economic reform cannot be achieved merely by changing individuals, but requires adjustments to procedures and policies in both branches of power. While welcoming parliamentary oversight, she warned that such tools are most effective when used to restore public trust, not intensify economic and social uncertainty.
These political exchanges are unfolding against the backdrop of rapidly worsening economic indicators. On Tuesday, December 23, the U.S. dollar surpassed 133,000 tomans, while the Imami gold coin rose above 146 million tomans. The euro reached 157,000 tomans, the British pound 180,000 tomans, and the price of one gram of gold exceeded 14 million tomans. Economic analysis indicates that between November 20 and December 21, the dollar gained roughly 18,000 tomans, representing an increase of nearly 16 percent in one month. Analysts cite domestic inflation, budget deficits, foreign-currency constraints, and speculation surrounding the future of the Central Bank leadership as key drivers of the surge.
Food prices have also risen sharply. Iran’s State Organization for Government Sanctions reported that the most frequent violations of price controls imposed by the government in recent weeks involved price increases for bread and rice, underscoring the growing pressure on low- and middle-income households.
Taken together, Ghalibaf’s warning represents one of the strongest parliamentary signals to date that Iran’s inflation crisis may soon translate into formal political consequences. While both parliament and the government publicly emphasize shared goals of economic stability and protecting livelihoods, the sharpened rhetoric reflects deepening institutional strain at a time of accelerating inflation, currency volatility, and public anxiety. Whether oversight sessions and joint mechanisms can deliver rapid relief—or whether impeachment proceedings move from threat to reality—remains a pivotal question for Iran’s political and economic trajectory.