Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has told hard-line deputies in parliament to stop efforts to impeach cabinet members of reformist President Mohammad Khatami.
In a message to deputies, the Ayatollah said the country would not benefit from impeaching cabinet ministers when the government's term in office ends in a few months, following new elections.
The Ayatollah's message - a rare public intervention in politics - was also carried by the official Iranian news agency Tuesday.
Iran's Supreme Leader has the final say on all state affairs.
Iranian hard-liners, who won control of parliament last year, have already impeached President Khatami's road and transportation minister, Ahmed Khorram. Conservative deputies also had planned to impeach the education minister, Morteza Haji, and possibly also the interior minister, Abdolvahed Moussavi-Lari.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.