THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Manouchehr Mottaki, the former Iranian foreign minister who was abruptly fired last week, has said his dismissal was "un-Islamic, undiplomatic and offensive".
The former minister said he was caught unaware when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iran president, announced the decision to sack him while he was away on a diplomatic mission in Senegal, according to the Mehr new agency. Mr Ahmadinejad appointed nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi as acting foreign minister.
Mr Mottaki added his criticism to an outcry by parliament members who rival Mr Ahmadinejad from within his own conservative camp. He told that he was not told about the dismissal before or during his trip.
"Dismissing a minister during a mission is un-Islamic, undiplomatic and offensive," Mr Mottaki said. "I was never informed," he added. >>> | Sunday, December 19, 2010
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Riot police across Tehran as regime fears unrest: Iran's rulers showed they were fearing another bout of mass unrest on Sunday when they deployed riot police across the capital at the same time as a biting austerity programme took effect. >>> Adrian Blomfield, Middle East Correspondent | Sunday, December 19, 2010
