Ahmadinejad 'is new Opec head'

Hot seat: Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has handed himself the oil ministry role and, it would appear, the Opec presidency

By Eoin O'Cinneide

 16 May 2011 16:21 GMT

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been called many things over the years, but it seems the Iranian president can now term himself the new head of Opec.

Ahmadinejad would appear to be taking over presidency of the oil and gas producers’ cartel after branding himself Iran’s new oil minister.

The fervent backer of Iran’s nuclear power programme is putting himself in the shoes of Masoud Mir-Kazemi who was dismissed from the post on Saturday as the country tried to cut administrative red tape and spending.

In an interview with state television on Sunday, Ahmadinejad said: "For the time being, I am the caretaker of the oil ministry”.

As head of the oil ministry in Iran, which currently holds presidency of…

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