Iran's Industry and Roads Ministers Resign

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has accepted the resignation of the embattled ministers of industry and roads, a statement on the presidential website said Saturday.

The president thanked industry minister Mohammad Shariatmadari and roads minister Abbas Akhoundi's "selfless service" and "sincere efforts" during their tenures and appointed two acting ministers.

Reza Rahmani, current deputy industries minister, will take over for Shariatmadari and the current governor of Mazandaran, Mohammad Eslami, will become acting roads minister effective immediately, the website said.

The two ministers reportedly handed in their resignations over a month ago as lawmakers were preparing impeachment proceedings against them.

Rumours of Shariatmadari's resignation first surfaced mid-September but were quickly denied by the ministry.

Akhoundi published his resignation letter dated September 1 on Saturday, pointing to a "difference of opinion" as the main cause.

Rouhani's labour and economy ministers were sacked by the parliament in August over their handling of an economic crisis, partly triggered by the withdrawal of the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimpoisition of sanctions.

Rouhani himself was summoned to the parliament to answer questions from lawmakers on August 28, a first in his five years in power, and only the second time for a sitting president.

Lawmakers were also ready to impeach education minister Mohammad Bathaei but called it off on September 2 due to the upcoming school year.

Photo Credit: IRNA

Iran Signs Deal with China to Connect Key Port to Rail Network

China will build a train line connecting the Iranian port of Bushehr to the rest of the country's railway network under a $700 million deal signed on Wednesday.

The agreement was inked in Tehran in the presence of Iranian Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi and officials from China Machinery Industry Construction Group.

It will see the group build a 400-kilometre (250-mile) railway between the Gulf port and the southern city of Shiraz, IRNA state news agency cited officials as saying without specifying when construction would get underway. This would complete the "North-South Railway Corridor" in line with Iran's goal of becoming a transport hub for goods between the Gulf, the Indian subcontinent, Russia and Central Asia.

Products arriving at Bushehr, Iran's second biggest port after Bandar Abbas, also on the Gulf, currently have to be transported by road.

The Bushehr-Shiraz rail project is one of seven the government is working on totaling 2,300 kilometers in tracks, according to IRNA.

China is Iran's biggest economic and trading partner. In September, the Asian giant granted lines of credit worth $10 billion for five banks financing infrastructure projects.

Photo Credit: IRNA