[Al Arabiya Latest] Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has rejected the resignation of the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-Hossein Saffar-Harandi, his office said on Monday."This resignation has not been accepted by the president," Mohammad Jafar Mohmmadzadeh, communications director at the president's office, told the ISNA news agency.
The minister submitted his resignation on Sunday over what he said was a weakened government following Ahmadinejad's decision to sack the intelligence minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie.
"Unfortunately due to the recent events which shows the esteemed government's weakness, I will no longer consider myself the minister of culture and will not show up at the ministry as of tomorrow," Saffar-Harandi said in his resignation letter.