TEHRAN, Iran – Iran's official news agency is reporting that the country's supreme leader has intervened to stop lawmakers from questioning President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in parliament about the deteriorating economy.
The Wednesday report by IRNA quotes Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying he demanded parliament drop its request to have the president return for questioning, as he did in March for the first time in the Islamic Republic's history.
Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, said parliament's concern was positive, but that questioning the president before the body would be doing the work of the country's enemies.
Earlier in November lawmakers voted to summon Ahmadinejad in early December. Khamenei's move is seen as an attempt to urge unity among leaders as international pressure over Iran's disputed nuclear program grows.
Fox News' "Antisemitism Exposed" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.