Iran deputy foreign minister quits amid power struggle

[pampango]

Source: CBC

Iran's newly appointed deputy foreign minister has resigned under pressure from hardliners who view him as part of a movement seeking to weaken the role of Iran's powerful Muslim clerics, media reports said Tuesday.

The dispute over Mohammad Sharif Malekzadeh is part of a burgeoning power struggle involving President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the parliament and the country's clergy. While Malekzadeh faces corruption charges, the opposition to his appointment appeared more ideological.

Mashaei is sharply opposed by hardliners who accuse him of seeking to undermine Iran's ruling system. He has been described by hardline clerics as the head of a "deviant current" that seeks to elevate the values of pre-Islamic Persia and promote nationalism at the cost of clerical rule.


Iranian legislators listen to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speak on his nominee
for the post of minister of sport and youth, who was rejected Tuesday.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/06/21/iran-power-struggle.html?ref=rss

[Ash_F]

1. The hardliners are feeling the squeeze. That is good.

What we don't need is more inflammatory language from U.S. driving more Iranians towards these right-wingers as they loose popularity.