TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s state TV says the Tehran city council has accepted the resignation of Mayor Mohammad Ali Najafi who resigned last month after hard-liners criticized him for attending a school performance in which girls were dancing. Some of the council members said on Sunday that Najafi had resigned under political pressure, although he had mentioned “illness” as the reason. Referring to Montazeri’s remark, Council member Zahar Sadrazam Nouri said, “Now pressures are being exerted on the mayor openly.”

Another council member Mohammad Javad Haghshenas said in a tweet, “The prosecutor’s comment is beyond his legal status, and in violation of the Constitutional Law.”

Reformist MP Mahmoud Sadeqi reminded in a tweet “This is clearly within the city council’s jurisdiction to decide on the mayor’s resignation.”

Tehran City Council Chairman Mohsen Hashemi has confirmed that the mayor has resigned again, while IRGC-linked Fars news agency reported that the city council might name an acting mayor for the time being rather than appointing a new mayor. Reformists displaced the conservatives for the first time in 14 years in last year's municipal elections.
Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Ali Najafi resigns from his post after eight months in the office. His last resignation was rejected by the City Council.