TEHRAN, Iran — Fifty-three members of Iran’s parliament have summoned Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to explain his comments that the United States can “wipe out Iran’s defense systems with just one bomb” while 20 members of parliament have gone further and asked President Hassan Rouhani to remove the foreign minister from his post. While Zarif was attempting to demonstrate that Iran’s strength comes not from its military power but from its people, conservative members of parliament are using this occasion to try to rein in the foreign minister in what is becoming an increasing assertive parliament.

Fewer than four months after the administration took office, some in the Iranian parliament, mostly dominated by the Principlists, have begun to question and criticize Rouhani ministers and have even begun the impeachment process for one minister.  

The very first victim could be Iran’s economics minister, Ali Teyebnia, who was the first President Hassan Rouhani minister to receive a yellow card from parliament. Ghassem Jaffari, a representative from Bojnord, accused the head of the Central Bank of pursuing a currency policy that was not in the country's interest but rather of specific groups. When Teyebnia was called to parliament to defend the head of Central Bank's policies and recent statements, they were deemed “unsatisfactory.” If Teyebnia receives two more yellow cards, he will be automatically impeached. 

Another Rouhani minister in hot water is Reza Faraji Dana, minister of science, research and technology. He became minister after Jafar Mili Monfared, Rouhani’s original candidate for the post, was denied a vote of confidence from the parliament and acting Science Minister Jafar Towfighi was also rejected by the parliament. However, almost immediately, the new minister appointed the two rejected candidates as senior advisers to the minister and deputy minister respectively. Many members of parliament felt that they were being undermined by these appointments, given that the candidates were rejected by parliament because of their support of the 2009 Green Movement, which continues to be a controversial topic in Iran.