Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday sacked his intelligence minister, a day after he caved in to pressure from hardliners and forced his controversial first vice president to step down.
No official reason was given for the sacking of Intelligence Minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie, which comes just a few weeks before Ahmadinejad, re-elected for another four year term in a disputed vote last month, is due to finalise his new cabinet line-up.
Various local news agencies had reported that four ministers had been sacked but Ahmadinejad's office denied this, saying only Ejeie had been given his marching orders. Those earlier reported also sacked are Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Mohammad-Hossein Saffar-Harandi, Labour and Social Affairs Minister Mohammad Jahromi and Health Minister Kamran Baqeri Lankarani.
Ejeie was sacked "following a verbal quarrel between him and the president in Wednesday's cabinet meeting over the appointment of (Esfandiar Rahim) Mashaie," the Mehr news agency quoted an informed source as saying.
Rahim Mashaie, who last year said Iran was a "friend of the Israeli people," stepped down from post as first vice president yesterday after his appointment by Ahmadinejad a week ago stirred controversy and angered hardliners.
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