HispanicBusiness

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has dismissed the only woman minister in his cabinet, Health Minister Marzieh Vahid-Dastjerdi, state media reported Thursday.

Appointed as temporary caretaker to the Health Ministy was Mohammad-Hassan Tariqat-Monfared, the ISNA news agency reported.

The reasons for the dismissal of Vahid-Dastjerdi - the first and so far only female minister in the 34-year history of the Islamic republic - are not yet clear, especially as Ahmadinejad himself had just recently referred to her as one of Iran's best health ministers ever.

Vahid-Dastjerdi had recently declared that the price of medicine would increase in line with earlier price hikes made largely in connection with sanctions related to Iran's nuclear programmes.

Ahmadinejad himself is desperately trying to hide the effects of international sanctions, which have in the past months led to economic crisis in the country.