TEHRAN - Mohammad Taghi Shahcheraghi has replaced Mohammad Reza Gholamreza as the political assistant to Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi. 

The 62-year-old military official was appointed as the governor of Qom province in November of 2021. 

With the new appointment, it seems that media reports which have been hinting at the interior minister’s impeachment have been rejected. 

Ali Nikzad, the deputy parliament speaker, has told media outlets that it seems unlikely Vahidi would get impeached. “In my opinion, we should not talk about this impeachment issue anymore. We must keep in mind that our decisions should help bring unity to different political groups in the country. Today, Iran needs coherence and solidarity to overcome its problems. So, bipartisan groups will definitely try to have constructive interactions with each other,” said Nikzad.

The lawmaker also urged cooperation with provincial officials, saying, “As Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei, has stated many times, the ‘vote’ of parliament members is, in fact, the right of people, and this right must be preserved at all costs. Therefore, in order to respect the people and their rightful demands, it is necessary for all executive officials of the provinces to work alongside lawmakers and assist them in serving the people, especially since the goal of both groups, namely representatives and provincial government officials, is to help improve the situation across the country. Not showing support for parliament will have significant consequences for the people of Iran.”

MHA/PA