Ahmadinejad's third oil minister nominee rejected

The nominee, Seyed Mohsen Tassaloti, had been the target of rumours over his personal life and fortune.

In August MPs in the conservative-controlled parliament refused to give their backing to Ahmadi-nejad's first choice on the grounds he was unqualified. The president was dealt another embarrassing blow earlier this month when deputies forced him to withdraw his second nominee. for his lack of experience in the oil sector -- which accounts for 80 percent of Iran's export revenues.