Iran's hardliners reject President Hassan Rouhani’s trade minister nominee

Politicians rejected Hossein Modares Khiabani’s nomination for minister of trade and industries

epa08585440 A handout photo made available by the Iranian Presidential office shows, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani speaks during a cabinet meeting in Tehran, Iran, 05 August 2020. Media reported Rouhani as sympathies with Lebanese people and Lebanon government announced that Iranian aid will soon be sent to Beirut.  EPA/IRANIAN PRESIDENT OFFICE HANDOUT  HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES
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Iranian hardliners in parliament on Wednesday voted against President Hassan Rouhani’s nominee for trade minister in the first showdown between the rival camps since the house resumed work in May, despite the struggles to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

According to the parliament’s website, lawmakers rejected Hossein Modares Khiabani’s nomination for minister of trade and industries.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the vote was 140-104 against the nominee. There were 254 lawmakers at the session and 10 abstained. The parliament has 290 seats.

The vote marked the first serious confrontation between the newly elected house, dominated by conservatives and the bloc of supporters of the relatively moderate Mr Rouhani. Under the law, Mr Rouhani must introduce new nominees to his cabinet in the next three months.

Mr Rouhani in May dismissed the trade and industry minister at the time, Reza Rahmani, as Iran faced an unprecedented economic downturn amid intense pressure from the United States after President Donald Trump pulled America out of Iran’s nuclear with world powers and reimposed sanctions on the country. Mr Khiabani, 52, had since been the acting trade minister.

Iran is also grappling with the largest and deadliest outbreak of the coronavirus in the Middle East, with more than 331,000 confirmed cases and at least 18,800 deaths.