Some however downplayed the incident.

'The case is being over-dramatised because Rahim-Mashaie's remarks were not so bad, and the president has the constitutional right to appoint his deputy himself, without consulting parliament,' an observer noted.

Iran's president needs parliament's consent when appointing his cabinet, but not his deputy.

Further, Rahim-Mashaie's remarks on Israel reflect the government's position that political differences with Iran's arch-enemies, the US and Israel, has nothing to do with the people in the two countries.

'Other officials have on several occasions made similar statements,' the observer said.

Observers believe that Rahim-Mashaie, because of his family ties to Ahmadinejad, is one of the few officials that the president can trust completely.

But the criticism of the president from the opposition, led by Mir-Hossein Moussavi and former presidents Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani and Mohamed Khatami, has found place in the conservative camp too.

'Parliament will now put everything under the magnifying glass because the opposition is waiting for even the smallest slip-up to expose the president and his followers,' a local journalist said.

It is therefore expected that the president's new ministers would be closely assessed by parliament. 'A few are sure to fail, Ahmadinejad should therefore have a few in reserve,' the journalist added.