President Hassan Rohani has named Ali Akbar Salehi to be Iran’s new nuclear chief, foregin media reported.

Salehi has extensive experience in Iran’s nuclear program, having served previously as both head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization and Tehran’s envoy to the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency.

Salehi, who served as foreign minister under former President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, is regarded as a nuclear expert and moderate politician.

Iran’s conservative-dominated parliament, meanwhile, on August 15 approved 15 of Rohani’s choices for his new cabinet, but rejected three.

The approval hearings in the conservative-dominated legislature were seen as the first key test for Rohani.

Parliament speaker Ali Larijani said after the voting that the proposed ministers of education, science, research, and technology, and sports did not win lawmakers' backing.