Intensifying Western pressure over Iran's nuclear work

Iran has been hard hit by Western sanctions over its refusal to halt sensitive nuclear activity and be transparent with UN nuclear inspectors. Israel, whose leader meets US President Barack Obama on Monday, has talked of war.

Obama also said military action was among the options to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. "As president of the United States, I don't bluff," he told Atlantic Magazine. But he also argued against a pre-emptive strike.

The dispute over Iran's uranium enrichment programme, which Tehran says is purely peaceful, barely featured in an election dominated by debates over soaring prices and scarce jobs.

The vote will have scant impact on Iran's foreign or nuclear policies, in which Khamenei already has the final say, but could strengthen the Supreme Leader's hand before a presidential vote next year. Ahmadinejad, 56, cannot run for a third term.

The outgoing parliament has summoned him to answer questions next week about his handling of the economy in unprecedented hearings that could hamstring him for the rest of his term.

But the combative Ahmadinejad may try to turn the tables on his critics, some of whom say he has inflicted higher inflation on Iranians by slashing food and fuel subsidies and replacing them with cash handouts of about $38 (Dh139.56) a month per person.

Global oil prices have spiked to 10-month highs on tensions between the West and Iran, OPEC's second biggest crude producer.

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