Majlis Rejects Industries Ministry Nominee

Iran’s conservative-dominated parliament voted against President Hassan Rouhani’s pick for the post of industries, mining and trade minister in its Wednesday session.
From a total of 254 votes, 104 parliamentarians voted in favor and 140 voted against the nomination, while 10 abstained, ISNA reported.
Hossein Modarres Khiyabani, the caretaker of industries minister, had been nominated by Rouhani to head the ministry permanently.
Following the vote, Vice President for Parliamentary Affairs Hossein Ali Amiri said Khiyabani’s time as caretaker expires today and Rouhani will seek the permission of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei before naming the next caretaker.
Khiyabani, 52, served in an acting capacity for three months after the former minister, Reza Rahmani, was dismissed by the president. He had 17 years of experience in different positions in the Ministry of Commerce, which was later merged with the Ministry of Industries and Mining.
Khiyabani’s replacement had not been announced as of Wednesday evening.