Iran’s parliament narrowly approved Ali Akbar Salehi as Foreign Minister of Iran who was the choice President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The lawmakers’ verdict on Salehi is being seen as a test of the president’s hold on support in parliament, after his disputed re-election in 2009 which caused a rift among hardline rulers of the country. Parliament speaker Ali Larijani informed that Salehi secured the vote of confidence from the legislative body by getting 146 votes out of 243. Reports noted that Salehi approval by the parliament will be a relief to Ahmadinejad, who has faced growing criticism from parliamentarians who mainly accuse him of concentrating power in his own hands and riding roughshod over the views of lawmakers.1

• 1. “MPs approve Ahmadinejad ally as foreign minister,” Khaleej Times, January 30, 2011, at http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2...