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.