Ahmadinejad denies rumors on split with KhameneiMay 2, 2011 - 12:24 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attended his first cabinet meeting for more than a week, dismissing rumors of a damaging split with the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to reports. Mr Ahmadinejad's close relationship with the senior cleric, who has the last word in the Islamic Republic's affairs, was strained two weeks ago, according to some analysts. The Supreme Leader had vetoed the President's attempt to sack his intelligence minister. Since then, Mr Ahmadinejad has missed two cabinet meetings, something some foreign analysts said was akin to a boycott. Speculation began to circulate that Mr Ahmadinejad no longer enjoyed the unqualified support of Mr Khamenei, something the government denied. Mr Khamenei had endorsed his re-election in June 2009 in a vote the opposition said was rigged. The Tehran Stock Exchange lost 6 per cent in value over the past three trading days due to the political uncertainty, Reuters reports. Without the Supreme Leader's support, any Iranian president risks becoming a lame duck. Before the cabinet meeting, the head of the national broadcaster IRIB, Ezatollah Zarghami, said Mr Ahmadinejad would express his allegiance to Mr Khamenei: "His speech to the cabinet ... will foil all the plots of the enemies of Islam and the revolution." Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. Byblos Bank Armenia celebrates Students' Day with scholarship recipients YSU students who received scholarships from Byblos Bank Armenia gathered in a casual setting to meet with the Bank's CEO, Hayk Stepanyan. Azerbaijan extends Rune Vardanyan’s arrest by 5 months A court in Azerbaijan has extended the arrest of former Nagorno-Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan by five months. Armenia border residents dissatisfied with delimitation Residents Kirants are dissatisfied with the results of the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. |