Pressure mounts on Iran's health minister amid personal vaccine saga
The impeachment motion was triggered by a leaked document showing that the health minister had received an imported vaccine, contradicting his earlier claims that he had been jabbed with a government-promoted, domestic one.
A number of lawmakers in Iran's conservative parliament are advancing an impeachment bid against the country's health minister, marking the first such attempt against the government of hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi.
During an open meeting Jan. 11, the impeachment motion's architect, Kamal Hosseinpour, criticized the health minister's personal preference in COVID-19 vaccination, and his decision to take an imported dose instead of an Iranian one.
"This is inappropriate and [reveals] a significant flaw," the lawmaker said.
Earlier this month, Health Minister Bahram Einollahi proudly declared, "Many of the cabinet members, inducing myself, have received the domestic vaccines." The minister was making the remarks at a ceremony inaugurating the clinical research phase of one of five Iranian vaccines.
