Iran names interim oil minister: Hamid Bord replaces Paknejad

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has appointed Hamid Bord as interim oil minister after accepting the resignation of Mohsen Paknejad, state media announced, as Al Jazeera reports. Bord previously served as chief executive of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), after earlier managing Iran’s oil-rich southern regions.

“Following the acceptance of Mohsen Paknejad’s resignation, Hamid Bord was appointed interim Minister of Petroleum,” state media reported. The change at the top comes as Iran’s oil industry faces production, export and infrastructure challenges amid the war with the U.S. and Israel.

The resignation follows weeks of uncertainty over Paknejad’s position, after reports of tensions within the Oil Ministry, according to Iranian media.