Middle East
Iran blocks former president’s website ahead of vote
Iran has blocked the website of influential former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani ahead of parliamentary elections, for carrying pro-reform critical statements, Iran's semi-official ILNA news agency reported on Friday. The clerical establishment has increased pressure on the pro-reform opposition ahead of the March 2 vote, the first nationwide poll since a 2009 disputed presidential vote that triggered prolonged and widespread anti-government protests. In the past days, some leading reformist figures have been sentenced to long-term jail sentences.
IRGC and Basij have plans to correct Tehran’s political and cultural situation: General Jafari
In Iran, Ahmadinejad joins battle over women’s fashions
In the Islamic republic of Iran, the law requires women to cover their hair and bodies in public. But how to do so remains up to them, and the result is persistent confusion in the streets. Now, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is stepping into the dispute. He wants to settle it by promoting government-approved apparel for women, garments intended to introduce an array of clothes that are Islamic and beautiful at the same time. Hard-liners are not amused. They say that the new designs encourage "Western values." But at a recent government-sponsored fashion show, young women and their mothers gazed approvingly at the plastic mannequins showcasing the new coats and scarves.
The Battle Within — Ahmadinejad v. Rafsanjani in 5Â Scenes
The Supreme Leader Is Worried — Three Developments You Probably Don’t Know
Followers of our daily coverage of Iran will be aware of the political tensions that have gripped the Islamic Republic's establishment. Those battles, from charges of corruption to warning of a "deviant current" affecting the Government, will only grow in intensity before next March's Parliamentary elections. Yet EA sources have given us a story that goes even farther. The core of the tale is the belief amongst many observers in Iran that, despite all the attacks upon it, the President's camp will be the winner in the elections. Whether or not that assessment is correct, the Supreme Leader's advisors are concerned.
Confessions of Attackers on the British Embassy: We Were Used
With the passage of five days since the attack on the British embassy compounds in Tehran, which has so far met with silence from the leader and the president of the Islamic Republic, a senior cleric condemned the attack, amid the strong condemnations that have been made by the British and other governments, newspapers in Iran too are now commenting on the event as have some of the attackers on the embassy.
Iran: domestic power plays
Tehran has once again sent shock waves around the globe as protesters stormed the British Embassy and residence forcing London to withdraw its diplomats from Iran at a critical time when Iranians are preparing for what Iran's Intelligence Minister has labeled as "the most critical elections in the Islamic Republic's history".
Iran’s ruling system seeks comfort zone amid diplomatic crisis
The UK embassy attack crisis could hand hard-liners just the type of Iran-versus-West escalation they have always tried to leverage to their advantage. The outward confidence of the parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, and other officials suggest Iran s Islamic leadership is far from panic mode - and could even have set the showdowns in motion by sending paramilitary loyalists into Tuesday's demonstrations. "All this could not have happened without a green light from the highest level," said Mehrzad Boroujerdi, an Iranian affairs expert at Syracuse University. "There's no doubt that hard-liners will look for ways to strengthen their hand."
Analysis British embassy storming bares rift in Iran elite
Khamenei Supports the Military’s Political Activities in Politics
As much criticism for the involvement of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and the Basij para-military forces in political affairs has been going around in Iran in recent years and critics call such interference to be contrary to the constitution and contradicting the guidance of the founder of the Islamic Republic ayatollah Khomeini, the country s current leader ayatollah Khamenei through recent remarks approved the interference of the military in politics by calling the Basij a "political" entity.
Security Forces Raid Iran Newspaper, Beat, Pepper Spray, and Arrest Journalists
Security forces attacked Iran Newspaper, one of IRNA s major publications, to arrest Ali Akbar Javanfekr, the President s press adviser and Managing Director of IRNA News Agency. Javanfekr was sentenced to one year in prison for publishing articles and photographs considered against public morality in Khatoon, a special insert in Iran Newspaper. He held a press conference about his sentence this morning. At the end of his press conference, he was approached by representatives from the Tehran Prosecutor s Office who had come to arrest him, leading to the confrontation with the entire editorial staff. In a November 19 interview with Etemad Newspaper, Javanfekr sharply criticized Iran s Prosecutor General, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi, and former Iranian Foreign Minister, Manouchehr Mottaki.
The Security Forces Cross Ahmadinejad’s Red Line
As I watched the 23-minute video of Monday's raid by Iranian security forces on the offices of the newspaper Iran, using tear gas and electric batons to seize President Ahmadinejad's senior advisor Ali Akbar Javanfekr --- while Javanfekr's staff tried to block their way and set fire to papers --- I was reminded of our response last week to the declaration, "Ahmadinejad has risen like a phoenix from the ashes": "The pendulum does not swing that far. Rocky does not throw a climactic punch. The Phoenix does not rise."
Iran daily closed over Ahmadinejad aide interview
Iran fires up voters with partial lifting of water pipe ban
Will Ayatollah Khamenei eliminate the Iranian presidency
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, one of the greatest failures of the country s leadership has been the inability to make a promised transition from a monarchy to republican rule. In fact, since Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began his tenure as Supreme Leader twenty-two years ago, he has centralized power further in his own hands, creating what can be called a clerical monarchy.
Khamenei’s power consolidation gambit
Throughout his tenure as Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei has utilised control of Iran's judiciary to enforce his rules. When the legislative branch became an obstacle during the refomist-dominated sixth Majles - with the chairmanship of Mehdi Karroubi - Khamenei countered. Utilising the judiciary, he purged nearly all sitting reformist parliamentarians. Each Majles since has coalesced around his rule. With the Judicial and Legislative branches showing fealty, Khamenei set his sights on the Executive. In 2005 and 2009, contested presidential elections were used to eliminate political opposition and send a message to conservative factions that full allegiance to Khamenei was non-negotiable.
Iranian reformists see free elections, not constitutional changes as way out of crisis
Even though the suggestion that Iran s supreme leader ayatollah Khamenei made two weeks ago about changing the constitution of the country from a presidential to a parliamentary system received a cold response in domestic political circles including key regime personalities such as ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a Majlis members who is close to the conservatives yesterday announced that ayatollah Khamenei had named a special group to examine the possibility of amending the constitution.
Decoding Ahmadinejad: Did He Just Declare the Final Confrontation within the Establishment
Over the last 48 hours, reports have emerged of an extraordinary speech by President Ahmadinejad to a group of his backers, the Supporters of Islamic Revolution Dialogue, in Tehran. Our initial reaction was "Did he really say that?" And that as the reports built in their detail, we began to consider, "If he did say that, what does it mean for the conflict inside the Iranian system?"
Fraud Case Rattles Iranian Leader
Iran's Parliament moved against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's economy minister over a banking-fraud case, only to back off, in a roller-coaster session that showcased the battle between the president and the country's political establishment. he $2.6 billion fraud case, the largest in Iran's history, has become a powerful vehicle for rivals of Mr. Ahmadinejad to attack his administration.
Iran’s economy minister survives vote
Iran's economy minister has survived an impeachment vote in parliament after appeals by the president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to keep the government intact despite anger over a major banking scandal. Parliament members voted 141-93 on Tuesday to keep Shamsoddin Hosseini, who has been accused of failing to take action after learning of the alleged $2.6bn bank fraud. Ahmadinejad, who had been called to the parliament for questioning, said that dismissing Hosseini would be a setback for Iran's efforts to fight international sanctions over its nuclear programme.
Is Ahmadinejad’s team planning a military coup in Iran
Iran parliament set to question Ahmadinejad over fraud case, corruption, in blow to prestige
Iran moves to impeach economy minister
In Iran, a new challenge to hard-liners
A rapid succession of challenges directed at Iran in recent days has reignited a debate in Tehran over how to deal with the rest of the world. Iran s rulers, led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, continue to refuse any negotiations in which they would have to compromise. But an influential faction is now pushing for back-channel talks with the United States as a step toward lowering the tensions raised by U.S. allegations about an Iranian assassination plot.
Iran could scrap directly elected president leader
Iran’s Ahmadinejad slammed over talk on US ties
The end of an era in Iran
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrives at the United Nations this week for what promises, once again, to be a belligerent address. Media speculation is sure to focus on his diminishing political fortunes - underscored by tensions with the judiciary over the fate of the two American hikers held since July 2009 - the shifting balances of power within the theocratic state and, as always, Iranian nuclear ambitions. Missing from this narrative is a key point: The Islamic Republic has entered its post-authoritarian stage.
Iran judiciary: No imminent release of US men
Playing with Khamenei in Syria’s Field
Families of U.S. hikers imprisoned in Iran stay hopeful
Is the Arrest of Ahmadinejad Imminent
Evidence is piling up that suggests Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will order the arrest of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the not-too-distant future. This conclusion, based largely on information from open sources, is supported by extraordinary new revelations provided by a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who recently spoke with this reporter.
Power Struggle in Iran Pits President Against Supreme Leader
The rise and rise of Iran’s Guards
Iran’s hard-liners seek payback in next election
Ahmadinejad’s newspaper in fight with hardliners over hijab
Ahmadinejad appears to have done a deal with IRGC
Getting the military on his side allows him to prepare to challenge Khamenei's nominees in the 2012 presidential elections A major surprise in Iran this week was the appointment of General Rostam Ghasemi who held a post with the Revolutionary Guards as oil minister. A few months ago Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad failed to get approval to give this key job to his loyalist Mohammad Ali Abadi. The oil minister's job has been at the heart of a bitter battle between Ahmadinejad and his conservative opponents headed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is supported by the Guards.
Iran gives key oil role to a Revolutionary Guard on sanctions list
Is Ahmadinejad’s Romance with U.S. Over?
The embarrassment just doesn't stop for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's beleaguered President. Even before this past weekend, when a third Iranian nuclear scientist was murdered in as many years, gunned down in front of his house in what critics are calling a major security failure, the President's prospects were dimming rapidly.
What Happened at Khamenei-Majlis Leaders Meeting
Khamenei: I intended to hold this meeting first thing in the morning, but this did not happen. The incident at yesterday s Majlis session has deeply disturbed me and has raised a serious concern. At times some events require one to seek help from God. My unhappiness is because of the disrespect that was provided to the president. You disrespected the president. You have the right to point out things to him, question him, and even censure him but you cannot insult anyone, particularly the president.
Why Ahmadinejad isn’t on his way out
There has been much dancing on the grave of Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad. After his unnerving re-election two years ago in a disputed and bloody vote, Ahmadinejad's many critics abroad and at home have savored the thorough political beating he has suffered over the last few months by Iran's real power, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei . Yet there are signs that Ahmadinejad is not a spent force just yet. This wily survivor is in the midst of renewing himself. His prime weapon has been a combination of oil supplicance and oil populism.
Ahmadinejad and clerics fight over scarves
Every summer, Iranian police get tough on women who violate the country s strict Islamic dress code by adjusting their veils and long coats to try to cope with the rising temperatures. But this year, amid the annual crackdown, the issue of how women wear the veil - and what the government does about it - has become part of an intensifying rift between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and powerful Shiite clerics.
Mohammad Khatami’s recent conciliatory stance towards the Iranian government has alienated former supporters.
Iran’s power struggle is set to escalate
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government has suffered an unprecedentedly harsh blow to its credibility during the last few weeks. The Iranian president has witnessed the arrest of officials close to high-ranking members of his cabinet, and has engaged in an escalating war of words with senior conservatives and Iran's judiciary. Even high-ranking members of the Revolutionary Guards, long believed to be politically aligned with Ahmadinejad, have sparred publicly with his administration, with both sides accusing each other of illegal financial dealings.
Iran arrests officials for ‘deviation’
Khamenei versus Khamenei: Will Ahmadinejad Be Impeached
This is an excerpt from a letter that Mehdi Karroubi wrote to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei protesting the intervention of Khamenei's second son, Seyyed Mojtaba, in the first round of the Iranian presidential election on June 17, 2005. Karroubi ran as a reformist candidate in those elections, and for several hours after the polls closed he was trailing only one other candidate, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
Ahmadinejad v Ayatollah Who will win Iran dust-up
Larijani Preparing for the Presidency?
Two years after the controversial presidential election of 2009 and at the height of the differences between Ahmadinejad and ayatollah Khamenei, Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani spoke with reporters and stressed his and Majlis's absolute obedience to the leader and said that velayate faghih (i.e., rule of clerics) was the "outstanding" feature of the Islamic republic. He also criticized Ahmadinejad's administration and said "demonstrations" and "protests" were people rightful rights.
Iran’s supreme leader warns against internal disputes
Ahmadinejad v. The Revolutionary Guards
Ahmadinejad had warned last month, amidst the increasing pressure on his camp with arrests of his advisors, that he could reveal information that would embarrass key officials within the Iranian establishment. Last weekend he told journalists that there was a "red line" against moves on his Cabinet and inner circle --- when State broadcaster IRIB censored the passsage, his staff posted the uncut video on the President's official website.
Voting For Ahmadinejad Was A Political Mistake
Iran state TV censors Ahmadinejad video clip
Iran's state television has censored a video clip that showed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad condemning recent arrests of his close allies. Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), which is under the direct control of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, transmitted only an edited version of the remarks made by Ahmadinejad after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, removing any mention of his comments over the arrests.
Iranian President Warns Against Arrest of Allies
Reason for Ahmadinejad’s Absence at Supreme Leader’s Meeting
The crisis between Ahmadinejad supporters and the regime leadership in Tehran is expanding by the day. The arrest of Ahmadinejad s four close allies and his absence at a meeting that ayatollah Khamenei had with visiting Afghan President Karzai last week may be more signs of the return of the domestic crises and the concluding phase of the confrontation
Ahmadinejad’s ally ‘arrested’ in Iran
Enfeebling Ahmadinejad: Iran’s President Downsized for Challenging the Ayatullah
How do you say "lame duck" in Farsi? (According to Google's translation service, the answer would be: ???? ???????) And in a twist worthy of Game of Thrones, less than two years after his disputed reelection and the brutal crackdown on opponents that followed, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been reduced to a ???? ???????. And that's just about where the clerical Supreme Leader Ayatullah Ali Khamenei -- who abandoned the political neutrality required of his office in 2009 to hail Ahmadinejad as the candidate whose views were closest to his own -- wants the president.
Ally of Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad resigns
Ahmadinejad loses fight over oil portfolio: parliament
Iran hardliners force deputy foreign minister to resign
Majlis to Ask Questions of Ahmadinejad in 10 Days
Majlis representative Ali Motahari announced that within the next ten days he was going to submit questions for Ahmadinejad to the Majlis leadership. This principlist MP who is a critic of the administration said that 90 legislators had signed the resolution adding that the MPs 'insist that the issue move forward as quickly as possible.'
Ahmadinejad aides targeted by Parliament
Iran's Parliament announced that it has received a series of reports questioning the actions of Esfandiar Rahim Mashai and Hamid Baghai, two chief presidential aides to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Fars reports that the complaints passed along to Parliament refer to a 'disruption perpetuated by the deviant current in the country s administration.'
The world can only watch as Iran implodes from within
Two years after the disputed reelection of the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Tehran streets that seethed with protest for months are quiet. But the silence belies the increasingly chaotic and rowdy struggle for control within the corridors of power - a contest in which those Iranians who risked their lives to protest two years ago have no clear favourite.
Ahmadinejad Isolated by Battle With Iran’s Supreme Leader
Where Politics is a Distraction from Making Money
Judging by the front pages of Persian language newspapers neatly laid out at every Tehran newsstand, political scandal is in the air. President Ahmadinejad's closest aides, including right-hand man Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, are being accused of embezzlement, cronyism, collaboration with opposition forces, and even pagan rituals thrown in for shock value.
Iran to send caretaker oil minister to OPEC
Iran’s president admits rift with country’s senior Islamic figures
Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has admitted for the first time that a rift has developed between him and some of the most senior figures of the Islamic regime. In a press conference in Tehran on Tuesday, the first since news emerged of his power struggle with the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the president said: "It is very clear now that we are 180 degrees away from them - we are actually on opposite sides."
Ahmadinejad’s clique under fire despite call for calm
Iran marks death of Khomenei
As Iran commemorates the 22nd year since the death of the Islamic Republic's founder, Ayatollah Khomenei, the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has used the occasion to remind the country of Khomeini's vision. Al Jazeera's Dorsa Jabbari reports from Tehran on the occasion against the backdrop of a power struggle.
Tens of thousands converge on Tehran shrine to commemorate the death of Ayatollah Khomeini
Khamenei calls for calm among conservatives
Iran’s lawmakers vote to take Amhadinejad to court
Khamenei Ordered Arrests of Ahmadinejad Loyalists
Tension Between Supporters of Ahmadinejad and Khamenei
The first direct confrontation between supporters of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been reported in Shiraz. The acting provincial governor general of Fars province was sacked for criticizing the "perverted group," the hardliners' code name for the inner circle of Ahmadinejad and his chief of staff, Esfandiar Rahimi Mashaei.
Khamenei aide urges Ahmadinejad ‘turn back to main path’ in Iran
Ahmadinejad And Larijani Tussle In An Oil Slick
For years he has treated it with imperious disdain. But now, with his political capital hemorrhaging, President Mahmud Ahmadinejad is being subjected to a relentless assault by Iran's parliament with the apparent approval of the country's most powerful cleric, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader.
Ahmadinejad losing ground in Iran power struggle, analysts say
Iran’s supreme leader and president in power struggle
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wanted to send his onetime protege Mahmoud Ahmadinejad an unmistakable message: You're replaceable. The Iranian president had been skipping Cabinet meetings, apparently over Khamenei's decision to overrule his firing of the country's intelligence chief. So Khamenei asked a conservative lawmaker to begin assembling a caretaker Cabinet, just in case the president resigned or had to be removed, said an Iranian official close to the politician.
Iran Claims 30 Arrested in Connection to CIA-Run Spy Network
Iran Guardians Call Ahmadinejad’s Oil Ministry Role ‘Unlawful’
Iran body rules Ahmadinejad can’t be oil caretaker
Hard-liners call for arrest of Ahmadinejad aide
Ahmadinejad TV Interview Khamenei ‘Like a Father to Our Society’ – Tehran Bureau
Ally criticizes Iran’s president in power struggle
Iranian ‘feud’ Much ado about nothing
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