Iran’s Foreign Minister close to Khamenei fired

The nuclear chief,Ali Akbar Salehi,is one of Ahmadinejad’s 12 Vice-Presidents. “This move shows not only the internal tensions but the primacy of the nuclear issue as Iran’s main foreign policy objective,” said Rasool Nafisi,an expert on Iranian affairs at Strayer University in Virginia.

Just a week before the shake-up,Iran resumed negotiations with six world powers over its suspect nuclear program after a long hiatus and another round is planned for early next year. Four sets of UN sanctions appear to be biting into the Iranian economy and Ahmadinejad may be looking for a loyal Foreign Minister who will help him clinch a deal with the six powers to ease the punitive measures.

Some of the tensions between Ahmadinejad and Mottaki have spilled out into public. In the past year,Mottaki opposed a decision by Ahmadinejad to appoint his own special foreign envoys to key areas such as West Asia,Afghanistan and the Caspian Sea region. Mottaki found the appointments embarrassing to the Foreign Ministry and allegedly took his complaint to the supreme leader. Khamenei has final say in all state matters in Iran. Khamenei reportedly sided with Mottaki,forcing Ahmadinejad to moderate his position and change their title only to the level of advisers.

The difference was exposed in September when Mottaki publicly attacked Mohammad Baghaei,one of the four trusted foreign policy envoys appointed by Ahmadinejad,calling him an “inexperienced” figure who was “creating problems for the country’s foreign policy.”

Ahmadinejad has challenged the supreme leader in the past over some political appointments. Last year,the President tried to resist Khamenei’s order that he fire one his vice-presidents opposed by conservatives,though Ahmadinajed finally caved and removed him.