Tehran - Iran was plunged into fresh political turmoil on Sunday as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sacked his intelligence minister while his culture minister resigned, saying the government has been weakened.
Ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani meanwhile came out publicly to deny the Islamic republic is in the throes of a power struggle.
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.
Local news agencies had reported that four ministers had been dismissed but Ahmadinejad's office denied this, saying only Ejeie had been given his marching orders.
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'It looks as if he intentionally brings tension to the country' One of those reported sacked, Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Mohammad-Hossein Saffar-Harandi, late Sunday announced he had resigned because of the confused reports about his "dismissal".
"Unfortunately due to the recent events which shows the esteemed government's weakness, I will no longer consider myself the minister of culture and will not show up at the ministry as of tomorrow," he said in a letter of resignation, as carried by the Fars news agency.
The Mehr news agency meanwhile quoted an informed source as saying that intelligence minister Ejeie was sacked "following a verbal quarrel between the intelligence minister and the president in Wednesday's cabinet meeting over the appointment of (Esfandiar Rahim) Mashaie".
Rahim Mashaie, who last year said Iran was a "friend of the Israeli people", stepped down as first vice president on Saturday after his appointment by Ahmadinejad a week ago stirred controversy and angered hardliners.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei intervened and personally ordered Ahmadinejad to dismiss Rahim Mashaie, saying the appointment would cause "division and frustration among your supporters".
'It is an ugly act'
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