When Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said Feb. 21 that “dirty money” had entered Iranian politics, he was criticized by conservative parliament members and media. His speech to drug enforcement officials that "dirty money from smuggling of illegal drugs enters the political field” prompted a letter from 30 members of parliament accusing him of “undermining the healthiest and most transparent electoral system of the world.” Many demanded that he testify before an open session of parliament to explain his accusations.
On March 2, after unrelenting criticism, Fazli backtracked, saying he had said “if” dirty money enters politics, it could cause harm to the political system. But he added that he was not going to allow “politeness” to get in the way of what needed to be said.
