TEHRAN – Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has warned that if the government does not reshuffle the cabinet to address runaway inflation and rising living costs, lawmakers will consider initiating a motion of censure.

Speaking during the open session of the Parliament on Sunday, December 21, 2025, Qalibaf began by extending greetings to the Iranian people on the occasion of Yalda Night, coinciding with the holy month of Rajab and its associated celebrations. 

However, the Speaker stressed that public concerns about the skyrocketing prices of essential goods are far more pressing. “Increases in foreign currency and gold are either cited as reasons or used as excuses for the rising costs,” Qalibaf said. “It is our duty to inform the people that the Islamic Consultative Assembly is seriously following this issue and will continue to do so.”

He noted that while parliamentarians were engaged in regional matters last week, he, along with the heads of the Economic, Planning, and Budget Commissions and several other lawmakers, held multiple meetings with cabinet ministers to scrutinize the causes of price hikes and the increase in foreign currency rates.

A supervisory session is scheduled for Tuesday with the participation of the ministers of Economic Affairs and Finance, Agriculture Jihad, Industry, Mines and Trade, as well as the heads of the Planning and Budget Organization and the Central Bank. The session will focus on safeguarding the public’s purchasing power, implementing the rationing law, and managing the foreign exchange market.

Qalibaf emphasized that if these measures fail, the government should prioritize reshuffling the cabinet. “Should the necessary reforms not be implemented, the Parliament will have no choice but to begin the process of a motion of censure,” he warned.
The urgency of the Speaker’s remarks comes amid persistently high inflation. According to the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI), the country’s consumer price index (CPI) reached 403.8 in the year to October 22, representing a 38.9% increase from the previous year. Annual inflation rose by 1.4% compared to September, while monthly inflation in October was 5%, driven by a 6.4% rise in food, beverage, and tobacco prices and a 4.2% increase in non-food goods and services.

Measured on a point-to-point basis, comparing the same months in consecutive years, Iran’s CPI hit 48.6% in October, up 3.3% from September. The country has experienced high but partially controlled inflation since 2020, following the impact of U.S. sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic. After peaking at 49.1% in May 2023, inflation had stabilized below 40% in recent months.

The sharp rise in October coincided with renewed U.N. sanctions reimposed after being lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal, as well as economic disruptions stemming from a war with Israel in June.