Tehran, April 5 (IANS) Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday removed his Vice President for Parliamentary Affairs Shahram Dabiri over his extravagant trip to the South Pole during the Nowruz (Persian New Year) holidays.

In a communique issued to Dabiri, President Pezeshkian said that after reviewing a report on Dabiri’s trip, he had decided to remove the Vice President from his post, stressing the need for government officials to set a personal example, Iranian media reports said.

Given the many economic hardships faced by the public, extravagant trips by officials, even if covered by personal income, are "not defendable and justifiable and run contrary to a minimalist lifestyle expected of Iranian officials", he said.

"(Our) longtime friendship and your invaluable services at the Vice-Presidency for Parliamentary Affairs do not preclude prioritising adherence to honesty, justice, and the promises made to the people," the President added.

Dabiri, a physician, football administrator, and former Chairman of the Tabriz city council, was appointed to the post in August last year.

Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said that President Pezeshkian’s decision shows that "he has no pact of brotherhood with anyone, and his only criteria are efficacy, justice, honesty, and the public interest".