Majlis Impeaches Science Minister

Iran’s Minister of Science, Research and Technology Reza Faraji-Dana was impeached today by Majlis with a vote of 145-110 with 15 abstentions. The minister was accused by the hard-right MPs of appointing figures as his deputies and advisors who were too close to the opposition leaders and the 2009 Green Movement. The impeachment article formally charged the minister for “politicizing the academic environment.”

Moments after Faraji-Dana was unseated by Majlis, President Hassan Rouhani appointed him as his senior advisor in science and education affairs.

Rouhani also appointed Mohammad Ali Najafi as the caretaker minister of science and education. Najafi was Rouhani’s first choice for the post last year, but could not get the vote of confidence in Majlis for the same reason Faraji was unseated today, too close to the opposition.

Photo credit: Iranian Minister of Science, Research and Technology Reza Faraji-Dana speaks during impeachment session at Majlis; 20 August 20 2014. (IRNA/Press TV)

Iran Appoints New Envoy to IAEA

Iran appointed Reza Najafi as its new envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Saturday. Najafi will replace Ali Asqar Soltaniyeh who has served in the post since 2005. Najafi will start on September 1.

Najafi is a highly regarded career diplomat. He has served as the director of foreign ministry’s disarmament office, and is considered Iran’s top expert in non-proliferation issues. Najafi is a close associate of Ali Akbar Salehi, the former foreign minister and the current director of Iran’s atomic agency. His appointment is seen as part of Rouhani’s extensive reshuffle of Iran’s nuclear negotiating team.