Hard-line cleric ups pressure on Iranian president

A prominent hard-line cleric has warned Iran's president that his legitimacy will be undermined if he continues to defy the supreme leader's order to dismiss his top deputy. Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami told worshippers during Friday prayers that the underlying foundation of Iran's Islamic system is the acceptance of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's judgment.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has angered his hard-line supporters by sticking by Esfandiar Rahim Mashai as his choice for vice president despite Khamenei's opposition. (AP)