Iran's Oil Minister Resigns for Personal Reasons

Iran's Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad has ​resigned for personal reasons, and Hamid Bovard, chief ‌executive of the government-owned National Iranian Oil Company, will be acting minister, state ​media said on Sunday. Mohsen Paknejad, ​oil minister of the OPEC member ⁠country since August 2024, resigned as the ​seven-month-old war between Iran and the US has put ​pressure on the country's economy.

Mehdi Tabatabaei, communications deputy in the president's office, told state ​TV that Paknejad resigned for personal ​reasons "a long time ago" and his resignation was ‌accepted ⁠by President Masoud Pezeshkian at Paknejad's insistence.

"With acceptance of Mohsen Paknejad's resignation by Dr. Pezeshkian, Hamid Bovard has ​been ​appointed as ⁠acting oil minister", Tabatabaei said earlier on Sunday, according to state ​media. Before news of his resignation, Paknejad was ​quoted ⁠by state media as saying "revenues of the oil that we have sold ⁠are ​still coming and that ​will continue God willing". - Reuters