Iran shakes up Oil Ministry

TEHRAN, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Iran sacked a top official in the Oil Ministry in what is widely seen as a move by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to increase his control over the energy sector.

Mohammad-Reza Nematzadeh, a deputy minister at the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Co., was dismissed without reason Tuesday, the Financial Times reported. Since the current government came to power in 2005, nearly a dozen top managers were fired or placed in lower positions.

"The change is part of a general policy of Mr. Ahmadinejad to hire new and young faces to prevent the widening gap between old and young managers," said Kamal Daneshyar, who had served on the Energy Committee in the Iranian Parliament.

Nematzadeh was charged with the petrol-rationing program to ease consumption as the country's energy infrastructure falters under economic sanctions. Iran imports about 30 percent of its fuel.

Officials expect rationing to end before the next round of presidential elections in June to entice the public to support the current government.

The new oil minister, Noureddin Shahnazi-Zadeh, gained a reputation in the oil sector for his work with refineries in the cities of Isfahan and Bandar Abbas.