The Iranian parliament sacked on Wednesday Minister of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare, Ali Rabiei as the country strives to cope with a deteriorating economy. A total of 129 members of parliament voted that Rabiei be impeached and removed from office, state media said, with 111 members voting in favor of him remaining. Critics of Rabiei, in office since 2013, say he failed to properly manage the ministrys affiliated companies and that his mismanagement resulted in the creation of fewer jobs than expected. His supporters say he is not responsible for Irans economic crisis and were able to fend off an earlier attempt to impeach him in March. Parliament gave President Hassan Rouhani three months to replace him. The Iranian economy is beset by high unemployment, a spiraling rial, which has lost half its value since April, and the re-imposition of sanctions by the United States. The first phase of the sanctions took effect on Tuesday. Rouhani has been under mounting pressure in recent weeks to reshuffle his economic team. In late July, his cabinet appointed a new governor for the central bank, a move seen as a concession to hardline critics who blame the government for economic problems. Protests linked to the tough economic situation in the country began last December, spreading to more than 80 cities and towns and resulting in 25 deaths. Sporadic protests, led by truck drivers, farmers and merchants in Tehran’s bazaar, have continued regularly since then and have occasionally resulted in violent confrontations with security forces. Rabiei, 62, is a longstanding ally of Rouhani, who also served as an adviser to reformist former president Mohammad Khatami between 1997 and 2005.