Iranian news agency speculates on composition of Rohani’s cabinet

TEHRAN,June 20(MNA) – The Tasnim News Agency on Wednesday published the names of possible cabinet members of Iranian president-elect Hassan Rohani. The report said that it was more than likely that former first vice president Mohammad Reza Aref or former education minister Mohammad Ali Najafi would be appointed as first vice president. Former intelligence minister Ali Younesi or Mostafa Mohaqqeq-Damad will be probably nominated as intelligence minister. Current Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, former foreign minister Kamal Kharrazi, and Mahmoud Vaezi are possible candidates for the post of foreign minister. Former Majlis speaker Ali Akbar Nateq Nouri, former vice president Majid Ansari, or former industries and mines minister Es’haq Jahangiri may take over as interior minister. According to the report, former MP Mohammad Baqer Nobakht and MP Ali Motahhari are respectively the only candidates for the posts of economy minister and culture minister. Former directors of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Gholam Reza Aqazadeh and Ali Akbar Salehi will most probably take the helm at the AEOI. Former foreign minister Ali Akbar Velayati and Masoumeh Ebtekar were also mentioned in the report as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and director of Environment Protection Organization respectively. Bijan Namdar Zanganeh and Seyyed Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh have also been mentioned as main choices for the key post of oil minister. Zanganeh was oil minister under president Mohammad Khatami and energy minister in Hashemi Rafsanjani’s administration. Vaziri Hamaneh also served as oil minister in the administration of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.