This resulted in several rounds of U. Since leaving office in , Ahmadinejad has become an outspoken critic of the ruling establishment, often crossing the redlines of the Islamic Republic. If you disagree with his opinion, should you go lie down and die? You must express your opinion.
Neither his disqualification, nor the attacks on his close associates have deterred Ahmadinejad, however. After announcing his candidacy to run in the June elections, Ahmadinejad threatened in May that if he is disqualified by the Guardian Council he will boycott the elections. Given his previous tensions with Khamenei and disqualification in , Ahmadinejad, who once enjoyed the full support of the supreme leader, is cognizant of his potential disqualification.
Nevertheless, he seems to have decided to challenge the establishment by announcing his candidacy anyway. Ahmadinejad could also be preparing himself for the post-Khamenei era.
In the unlikely scenario that the Guardian Council approves Ahmadinejad, his populism and fiery oratory, coupled with a strong base of support, will pose a serious challenge to other conservative candidates such as Judiciary Chief Raisi , who it is widely speculated is being groomed to succeed Ayatollah Khamenei, or the lesser known IRGC Gen. In short, if Ahmadinejad is allowed to run, his chances of success should not be underestimated.
It may be for the very same reason that the establishment decides not to take any risks and nips the threat of his potential victory in the bud. It insists it will not break its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and will not use its technology to make a nuclear bomb. Mr Ahmadinejad has also angered Western powers with his views on Israel.
He has called for an end to the Israeli state and has described the Holocaust as a myth. In October , Mr Ahmadinejad made a statement in which he envisaged the replacement of Israel with a Palestinian state. He was quoting Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution, and his words were widely translated as a call for Israel to be "wiped off the map", though this translation is disputed.
That was quickly interpreted by Western news agencies as an oblique threat to Israel. Mr Ahmadinejad has since stated that his speech was exaggerated and misinterpreted. He denied that he meant military intervention and said instead that Israel's "Zionist regime" would eventually collapse on its own. During a speech at the UN in April , he commented that Israel was a state founded on racist principles, an outburst that prompted a walk-out by delegates from at least 30 countries but earned him a hero's welcome on his return home.
Mr Ahmadinejad has made some small-scale concessions to moderates since He often speaks of women as being at the heart of Iranian society.
He talks of empowering them and makes much of his plan to provide insurance for housewives and share Iran's oil wealth with poorer families. He said he would not be confrontational in enforcing a campaign in Tehran to insist women obeyed Iran's strict Islamic dress codes and has also allowed women into major sporting events for the first time since Mr Ahmadinejad maintains a populist streak, calling his personal website Mardomyar, or the People's Friend.
He also has a reputation for living a simple life and has campaigned against corruption. Why time is against Iran's Ahmadinejad. Istanbul, Turkey. You've read of free articles. Subscribe to continue. Mark Sappenfield. Our work isn't possible without your support. Digital subscription includes: Unlimited access to CSMonitor. The Monitor Daily email. No advertising. Cancel anytime. Copy link Link copied. Renew subscription Return to the free version of the site. We logged you out.
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