Iran’s foreign exchange chief is sacked and arrested in tense build-up to return of US sanctions
Ahmad Araghchi, a vice-governor at Iran’s central bank, had presided over a failed attempt to fix the value of the rial
The Iranian central bank’s top foreign exchange official has been arrested, the judiciary said Sunday, as tensions rise ahead of the reimposition of US sanctions.
Ahmad Araghchi, who was a vice-governor at the bank in charge of forex, was arrested on Sunday – a day after he was sacked – along with several other unnamed individuals, including a government clerk and four currency brokers, said judiciary spokesman Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejeie in a statement, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
The arrests come amid heightened tensions in the run-up to the reimposition of US sanctions on Tuesday, following Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal.
Journalists reported a heavy build-up of riot police on Sunday night, including at least one armoured personnel carrier, in the town of Karaj, just west of Tehran, that has seen days of often-violent protests.
State media said protesters attacked and tried to burn down a seminary in the area on Friday night, and that at least one person was killed, allegedly by demonstrators.
People are upset when they hear that someone has embezzled billions while other people are living in tough conditions
There have been days of sporadic protests, including in key cities such as Isfahan, Mashhad and Shiraz – but severe reporting restrictions have made it impossible to verify social media footage and official accounts.