US Edition 
Iranian former ministers call for curbs to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's powers
Three of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's former ministers have called on Iran's supreme leader to form an emergency "government of all the talents" that will effectively curb the president's power.
Manouchehr Mottaki, the former foreign minister, Mostafa Pourmohammadi, who served as interior minister, and Davoud Danesh Jafari, the ex-finance minister, have urged the radical move in a letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, citing the country's "sensitive and critical situation".
It calls for the establishment of a special cabinet of "wise men" made up of the heads of the executive, legislative and judicial branches, which would then govern Iran for the next year until Mr Ahmadinejad's term ends.
Mr Ahmadinejad would be a member of such a body as head of the executive branch. But his powers would be diluted and prestige drastically reduced by the presence of other influential figures in the Islamic regime.
News of the letter was disclosed by the pro-government newspaper, Iran, at a time when the president is under increasing pressure over a deteriorating economy, which is creaking under the effects of inflation and international sanctions aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear programme.
Its contents appeared to have been leaked by sources close to the president in an effort to undermine its authors, who were all sacked by Mr Ahmadinejad in acrimonious circumstances. Mr Mottaki was removed as foreign minister in 2010 while on an official trip to Senegal. He only learned of his dismissal from his Senegalese hosts.
In an editorial, Iran criticised the former ministers' note as an attempt "to portray the country's situation as critical and justify extraordinary approaches outside legal boundaries to resolve an artificial crisis".
It follows the recent dispatch of another letter by nine MPs to the parliamentary speaker, Ali Larijani, proposing the formation of a special committee to talk over the running of the economy for the next year.