Iran oil minister dismisses talk of being replaced
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri-Hamaneh said on Wednesday he was not paying attention to talk he could be replaced as minister and said he had the support of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
"I don't pay attention to such rumors ... The president has always supported me," he told a news conference, adding that he had not had any discussions with the president about being replaced.
Some Iranian media reports had suggested he could be moved and cited a dispute concerning management changes at the oil ministry. Those rumors prompted objections from some members of parliament who said he should stay.
He defended the Oil Ministry's performance under his command.
Ahmadinejad swept to power promising to share out Iran's oil wealth more fairly and pledging to sweep out what he called as the "oil mafia" in the state-dominated Iranian energy sector.
Three candidates for the post of oil minister in Ahmadinejad's cabinet were rejected by parliament before Vaziri-Hamaneh was accepted for the post.
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
Taliban may wait out Washington's "endgame"
Washington's hint of an Afghanistan endgame in saying U.S. troops won't still be there in 2017 might help win over a war-weary public, but there is no guarantee a notoriously patient Taliban won't just wait the Americans out. Full Article | Full Coverage
Woods home after car crash
