The Iranian president has sacked two of his ministers in a dispute over the appointment of the nation's first vice-president.
Mehr news agency reported on Sunday that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissed Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, the intelligence minister, and Mohammad-Hossein Safar Harandi, the culture minister.
Two further ministers, holding the health and labour portfolios, are reported to have been dismissed as well, but Ahmadinejad's office said the reports are untrue.
No official reason was given for the sackings, but the Mehr news agency quoted an unnamed source as saying it was due to differences with Ahmadinejad over his decision to appoint Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei as first vice president.
Mashaei has become a lightning rod for contention after making remarks that Iran's problems with Israel have nothing to do with the Israeli people or Jews in general.
Mashaei, who is the father-in-law to Ahmadinejad's son, stepped down on Saturday after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme religious leader, ordered Ahmadinejad to fire him.
Political turmoil
But Ahmadinejad re-appointed Mashaei as his adviser. Local media reports said Ahmadinejad and the two sacked ministers had an angry argument in a cabinet session earlier this week over the disputed appointment.
The two ministers had reportedly called on the president to give in to the protests and revise the appointment but Ahmadinejad harshly rejected their demand. In protest, Mohseni-Ejei and Safar Harandi left the cabinet session.
Ahmadinejad is scheduled to be sworn in as president on August 5 and introduce his new government members until the end of next month.
The parliament has to approve all ministers. Due to the quarrel between Ahmadinejad and the parliament over the acting president, observers expect heated discussions over the new cabinet members as well.