But newcomers like Morteza Haji, the education minister, and Ali Sufi, the minister for co-operatives, are obscure bureaucrats, known for little save their loyalty to Mr Khatami.
"If such a person has made such accusations that have infuriated the people and it is shown that he cannot prove them, then legal steps must be taken with regards to this person, " said Gov. Morteza Tamaddon, according to the Iran Labor News Agency.