Iran’s Parliament Approves Most of Hard-Line Cabinet

Tehran. President Mahmoud Ahamedinejad vowed Thursday that Iran would not bend to Western deadlines for nuclear talks after his new government won broad backing from Parliament — including a defense minister wanted by Argentina for a deadly 1994 bombing of a Jewish cultural center.

Lawmakers also gave approval to the nation’s first woman government minister since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, but rejected three nominees for the 21-seat cabinet — the choice for the important Energy Ministry and two women proposed for the education and welfare-social security posts.

The wide mandate from lawmakers was a lift for the embattled president and considered a vote of confidence for his crackdowns on political opponents and tough stance against Western pressure for talks on the nation’s nuclear program or risk possible tighter sanctions.

“No one can impose sanctions against Iran anymore. We welcome sanctions. We can manage ourselves, but we have given our package of proposals,’’ Ahmadinejad told reporters Thursday as the Parliament was voting for his proposed cabinet.

The United States and some allies worry that Iran seeks to develop nuclear weapons, but Iran’s leaders say they only seek peaceful reactors for electricity.

Ahmadinejad also is struggling against a variety of internal rifts after his disputed re-election in June.

Opposition groups — that claim the outcome was rigged — have gained support from some influential Shiite clerics and even former Ahmadinejad backers who are troubled by the harsh postelection clampdowns and claims of abuses against detainees, including rapes.

But Ahmaedinejad still counts on the support of the powerful Revolutionary Guard and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters in Iran.

In the Parliament vote, Ahmadinejad won approval for many key posts that included the foreign, interior and intelligence ministries.

The new defense minister, Ahmad Vahidi, received overwhelming support. Also receiving Parliament backing was Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi as health minister, making her the Islamic Republic’s first female cabinet member since the toppling of the Western-backed shah.

Vahidi gained support earlier this week when lawmakers said they would not bow to foreign pressures to reject him.

Vahidi is wanted over charges of involvement in the bombing of the Jewish center in Buenos Aires that left 85 people dead. Vahidi is one of five prominent Iranians sought by Argentina in the bombing. He was the commander of a special unit of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard at the time of the attack.



Associated Press

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