TEHRAN — Iran’s president has fired one of his deputies for taking what he described as a “lavish” recreational trip to Antarctica.

President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered the removal of Shahram Dabiri from his position as vice president of parliamentary affairs in a decree on Saturday, describing the trip as both extravagant and indefensible.

“In a government that seeks to follow the values of the first Shia Imam (Imam Ali), and amidst significant economic pressures on our people, the lavish travels of government officials, even when personally financed, are indefensible,” Pezeshkian wrote.

The president added that Dabiri’s long-standing work in government should not preclude him from committing to what he called “honesty, justice, and the promises we made to the people,” according to the state news agency IRNA.

Dabiri denied wrongdoing but said he accepted the president’s decision.

Pezeshkian also said Dabiri’s actions contradict the principles of “simple living” that he says all officials should adhere to, especially during economic challenges.

Iran’s economy has been strained for years in part by US sanctions imposed in response to Tehran’s nuclear program.

Last week, the Iranian currency dropped to a record low of 1,039,000 rial to the US dollar, according to Reuters, citing data from Bonbast.com.

Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani was quoted by IRNA as saying that the president’s decision to fire Dabiri shows that “he has no pact of brotherhood with anyone, and his only criteria are efficacy, justice, honesty, and public interest.” — CNN