Fars News Agency reported that Hashemi has bid farewell to his deputies and colleagues after today’s meeting at Health Ministry’s headquarters in Tehran.

The minister has not attended recent cabinet meetings which intensified the speculations about his resignation.

MP Elyas Hazrati tweeted on Sunday that Hashemi has resigned due to the reduction of health sector budget in the Budget Bill for the next Iranian calendar year 1398 (to start March 21, 2019).

According to reports, President Rouhani has not yet accepted the resignation and government officials are trying to convince Hashemi to continue his job.

Speaking at a joint meeting of Iran-India pharmaceutical industries and medical equipment in New Delhi on Friday, Hassan Hashemi said Iranian Ministry of Health has provided a package to facilitate the permanent presence and investment of foreign pharmaceutical companies in the country.

He said once a product is produced inside Iran, the Iranian government will impose restrictions on the import of the same product from European and American companies. The products will also be marketed with reasonable prices in Iran, he added.

Hashemi stressed that long-term investment in Iran would provide Indian companies with a stable market.

The Iranian minister noted that he has told Indian minister of commerce not to deprive Indian companies of exporting their products to Iran while European and American sides continue to export to Iran even in the face of sanctions.

He added that doing business with national currencies has given Indian companies a good opportunity to invest in the Iranian market and the West Asia region, noting that if India fails to take advantage of this opportunity, Iran would go to other countries for investment.

He further promised that Indian companies would receive support to patent their products in Iran.