Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has fired his Foreign Minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, Iran's official IRNA news agency reports.
Initial reports gave no reason for the decision.
The action comes as a surprise, says BBC Iran correspondent James Reynolds, as there had been no indication Mr Mottaki was about to lose his job.
News reports suggested Mr Ahmadinejad had appointed the country's top nuclear official to replace Mr Mottaki.
State television reported Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation and a close ally to the president, would take over in a caretaker capacity.
"I appreciate your diligence and services as the foreign minister," said Mr Ahmadinejad in a letter to Mr Mottaki, Mehr news agency reported.
Analysts say the dismissal may be part of a political power play between conservatives and liberals in Iran.
Mr Mottaki had faced criticism in Iran over the international pressure on the country to halt its nuclear enrichment programme.
A fourth round of UN Security Council sanctions was imposed in June.
But recently concluded talks in Geneva ended with an agreement to hold more talks in Istanbul next month.
Iran insists it wants only atomic energy but a number of Western countries suspect it of trying to build nuclear weapons.
Mr Mottaki, who is currently in Senegal on an official visit, was appointed foreign minister in 2005.
A career diplomat, the 57-year-old speaks fluent English, Turkish and Urdu, and gained a postgraduate degree in international relations from Tehran University in 1991.
source:bbc news
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