Iran’s Minister of Transport and Urban Development Rostam Qassemi steps down from office over “deteriorating health issues.”
ranian President Ebrahim Raisi accepted Qassemi’s resignation on Tuesday, expressing gratitude for his efforts at the ministry and wished him swift recovery.
Raisi also named Qassemi’s deputy, Shahriyar Afandizadeh, as caretaker transport minister.
In August, Qassemi was hospitalized in Tehran, where he underwent a back surgery following an incident.
Qassemi, a former commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corp (IRGC)’s Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters, is also said to be suffering from cancer and undergoing chemotherapy.
Over the past months. Qassemi had reportedly been embroiled in two scandals, promoting calls for him to tender his resignation.
In one scandal, Qassemi’s advisor, ًQassem Makarem Shirazi, was arrested by authorities reportedly for receiving bribes in August.
Later, the minister took another blow after his private images emerged on social media, purportedly showing Qassemi holidaying with what appeared to be his wife, who is without a headscarf, in Malaysia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have agreed to strengthen ties…
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday revealed plans to send additional troops to join…
The Arab League has called for the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping force in…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted the military condition in the northeastern Kharkiv region was…
South Africa has urged an end to Israel's "genocidal" war in the Gaza Strip and…
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid has vehemently denied accusations of Iranian military involvement in…