Tehran  - Former nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani was on Wednesday elected with the votes of almost 90 per cent of the present deputies as interim speaker of the Iranian parliament.

As the credentials of all 290 deputies have not yet been confirmed, Larijani was first elected as interim speaker and will later, with the votes of all deputies, be elected for one year.

Larijani, considered a critic of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - especially his economic policies - resigned last October from his post as nuclear negotiator due to grave differences with Ahmadinejad.

Larijani however made clear on Wednesday that the new parliament will have the same stance on the nuclear issue as Ahmadinejad and not give in to Western pressure over uranium enrichment suspension. (dpa)