The President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, has given one of his deputies, Shahram Dabiri, the boot, after Dabiri and his wife enjoyed a cruise to Antarctica to celebrate the Persian New Year.
A picture of Dabiri, who is the vice-president of parliamentary affairs, and his wife standing in front of the ship that would take them to Antarctica was widely circulated on social media in Iran and caused widespread outrage, according to the BBC.
Pezeshkian’s office said Dabiri’s trip was “unjustifiable and unacceptable given the ongoing economic challenges” in Iran. It also said Dabiri’s trip was “indefensible,” even if he had paid for it himself.
Prices for the trip that Dabiri and his wife took apparently start at nearly US$7,000.