Iranian minister denies resignation

TEHRAN, Iran (Reuters) -- Iran's embattled minister of culture, a close ally of reformist President Mohammad Khatami, denied reports he had resigned, a newspaper said on Thursday.

Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ayatollah Mohajerani has been under sustained attack by religious conservatives who charge him with being too liberal and failing to stem the tide of "Westoxification" in newspapers, books and cinema.

Newspapers earlier this week said Mohajerani had resigned under the pressure and Khatami had suffered as a consequence.

"Mohajerani told reporters he had not resigned," the Aftab-e Yazd newspaper said. The minister blamed the media for falling for reports of his resignation in the hardline Resalat newspaper which has spearheaded a campaign against him.

The official IRNA news agency said on Thursday the minister had addressed a tourism conference in the central city of Isfahan.

But a government official told Reuters earlier this week that Mohajerani had indeed attempted to resign. He said, Khatami had not accepted the resignation and told him he should moderate and re-draft the 50-page letter before it could be accepted.

The government official said Mohajerani still planned to re-submit his resignation.

Khatami was elected in 1997 promising to reform the Islamic Republic, but has little to show for his efforts. Now with elections looming in May next year, he faces a possible conservative backlash aiming to block proposed reforms.

Some 25 newspapers supportive of Khatami have been banned and a number of journalists jailed since the conservative campaign got underway in April.

Mohajerani is now the favorite target of the surviving conservative press.

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