Reports: Iran's President Hassan Rouhani Has Rejected The Resignation Of Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif

CNN: Iran's president rejects the resignation of his foreign minister

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has rejected the resignation of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, according to the country's semi-official Fars news agency.

"The presidential office said the resignation had not been accepted," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said, Fars reported Tuesday.

The nation's top diplomat announced his intention to step down from his post, which he has held since 2013, on Instagram on Monday evening. Rouhani is required to accept the resignation in order for the move to go into effect, according to Iranian law.

Qasemi said any speculation about the reasons for Zarif's resignation beyond what appeared on his Instagram page is incorrect, reported Fars.

"I sincerely apologize for the incapacity to continue serving and all the shortcomings during the service," Zarif wrote on Instagram, adding, "Be happy and upbeat."

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Update #1: Iran: Rouhani rejects top diplomat Zarif's resignation -- Al Jazeera
Update #2: Iran’s Rouhani refuses to accept his top diplomat's resignation, according to state TV -- The Washington Post

WNU Editor: There is a lot of confusion in Iran on this story .... Story on Iran's Rouhani rejecting Zarif's resignation is withdrawn (Reuters).

This Is The Man Who Runs Iran's Foreign Policy

Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei

Foreign Policy: The Man Who Actually Runs Iran’s Foreign Policy

Tehran’s course is set by a shadowy figure behind the scenes—not the leaders who talk to the West.

Mohammad Javad Zarif has been Iran’s foreign minister for the past five years. In that time, he has become a familiar face in the West, earning a reputation as one of the key people to talk to to resolve any given disagreement with Tehran. It helps that he went to graduate school in Colorado, acquiring fluent English along the way—and that he has a reputation for being one of the leading figures in Iran’s camp of reformist officials.

Over the past two years, however, Zarif’s power has dramatically waned. Although he has continued his speaking tours in the West, he has been supplanted on the regional policy portfolios that most matter to Tehran—including Iran’s presence in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen—by a quieter but far more influential figure: Ali Akbar Velayati, the longtime foreign-policy advisor to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

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WNU Editor: Ali Akbar Velayati has the ear of The Supreme Leader and is also his point-man .... and in Iran that is the political contact that counts. Case in point on how important he is .... Top aide delivers Iran’s Leader message to Putin (Press TV).

Iran's Hardliners Are Trying To Push President Hassan Rouhani Out Of Office

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani waves as he delivers a speech marking the 37th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Feb 11, 2016. Photo: Reuters

Rohollah Faghihi, Al-Monitor: Iranian hard-liners smell blood as Rouhani under fire over economy

Iranian hard-liners are euphoric as President Hassan Rouhani is under increasing pressure from public opinion and losing credibility among voters, given the dire condition of the economy. But this state did not emerge overnight; rather, it is the result of a combination of US President Donald Trump’s policies and the well-devised plans of Rouhani's staunch opponents in Tehran.

This time, hard-liners don’t just want to weaken the moderate president but to push him out altogether. While such a step has been a taboo one in recent decades, the grounds for it were prepared in the aftermath of the May 2017 presidential elections, which led to the defeat of hard-line candidates. According to Abbas Salimi Namin, a moderate conservative, this plan is being led by hard-liners under the leadership of Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi. But Salimi Namin also said May 20 that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei opposes the endeavor, as he is against any government prematurely stepping down.

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WNU Editor: The knives have been out to get President Hassan Rouhani for a long time, but as long as he receives the backing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he will still stay in power.

No Selfies With E.U. Female Diplomat In Iran's Parliament

AFP

Washington Post: In Iran, selfies with E.U. diplomat land lawmakers in hot water

When Europe’s top diplomat arrived at the Iranian president’s inauguration on Saturday, it was a clear sign of commitment to better relations, even as the Trump White House has urged allies to isolate Iran.

But by the end of the ceremony, Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, would land at the center of a much different controversy, one that involved … selfies?

As attendees filed out of the parliament building, where President Hassan Rouhani had been sworn in for a second term, a crowd formed around Mogherini on the floor of the assembly. Dressed in suits and clerical robes — and nearly all wielding cellphones — more than a dozen Iranian lawmakers cheerfully snapped photos of the Italian Mogherini, who was wearing a checkered headscarf. One parliamentarian, giddy in a blue suit, leaned over the seats for the perfect angle for his selfie.

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Update: Seflies with Mogehrini Stir Criticism in Iran (Asharq Al Awsat)

WNU Editor: No big deal for me .... but clearly a big deal for some in Iran.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani Has Been Re-Elected In Today's Presidential Vote

Reuters: Rouhani leads Iran presidential race, expected to win: source

President Hassan Rouhani has an unassailable lead in Iran's presidential election, an Iranian official source told Reuters on Saturday, citing an early unofficial tally, and is on course to defeat his hardline rival Ebrahim Raisi.

"It's over, Rouhani is the winner," the source said on condition of anonymity.

Rouhani had won 21.6 million votes, compared to 14 million for Raisi, with 37 million votes counted, the source added. There were about four million more votes still to be tallied, the source said.

More than 40 million ballots were cast, the interior ministry said, indicating a turnout of about 70 percent in Friday's vote, roughly similar to the showing in 2013 elections when Rouhani swept into office in a landslide victory

State television said the official early results would be announced soon.

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Update: Iran election: Hassan Rouhani on course for second term (BBC)

WNU Editor: It looks like a landslide for President Hassan Rouhani.

Iranians Go To The Polls To Elect A New President

Reuters: Iranians line up to vote as Rouhani faces strong hardline challenge

Millions of Iranians queued up to vote on Friday, showing strong turnout in an unexpectedly tight election pitting President Hassan Rouhani, who wants to normalise ties with the West, against a hardline judge who says he has already gone too far.

Voting was extended by at least five hours to 11 p.m. (1830 GMT) because many people were still waiting in line, state television reported. Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani-Fazli said that by law voting could not be extended beyond midnight.

Rouhani, 68, who swept into office four years ago promising to open Iran to the world and give its citizens more freedom at home, faces an unexpectedly strong challenge from hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, a protege of supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

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WNU Editor: The voting has been extended .... Iran extends voting deadline in presidential election (AP)

More News On Iranians Going To The Polls To Elect A New President

Millions of Iranians vote in presidential election after bitter contest -- The Guardian
Iranians vote for president, with the nuclear deal and economy on their minds -- Washington Post
Polls open in high-stakes presidential vote in Iran -- France 24
Iran election: High turnout as Hassan Rouhani's followers vote to stop 'another Ahmadinejad' -- Independent
Iran election: It's close as moderate Hassan Rouhani fights for second term -- USA Today
Iranian Election Extended for Second Time in Close Race -- VOA
Long lines and extended voting hours could point to the outcome of Iran's presidential election -- L.A. Times
On Election Day, Iran Chooses Between Gradual Reform And Conservative Return -- NPR
All you need to know about the elections in Iran -- CNBC
A Look at Iran's Presidential Candidates -- US News and World Report
Iran's Presidential Election: What You Need to Know -- US News and World Report

Iranians Go The Polls Tomorrow To Elect A New President

The Guardian: Iran election: frantic campaigning as high-stakes vote goes down to wire

Iranians will go to the polls on Friday with the economy, diplomacy and inequality on their minds. They may also be laying the groundwork for who succeeds Ayatollah Khamenei as supreme leader

As Tehran’s notorious traffic slowed, the waiting campaigners pounced, pushing posters with the smiling face of Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, through the open windows of trapped cars, pleading for votes and shouting slogans as drivers edged away.

They were determined to make every minute count in the last days of a campaign in which Rouhani began as favourite, but has ended locked in a bitter and close-run fight with a conservative rival.

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WNU Editor: It's hard to predict on what will happen in tomorrow's vote, but a lot of media sources are saying there is going to be a change .... Iran Election Polls Show President Hassan Rouhani in Trouble Before Friday Vote (Newsweek).

More News On Iranians Going To The Polls Tomorrow To Elect A New President

Voters Divided On The Final Day Of Campaigning In Iran -- NPR
Iran leader denounces 'unworthy' election rhetoric in veiled swipe at Rouhani -- Reuters
Hardline prosecutor mounts strong challenge to Iran's Rouhani -- Reuters
Iran Has Its Own Hard-Line Populist, and He's on the Rise -- New York Times
Rouhani, the ultimate insider, promises change in Iran -- Tim Lister, CNN
Iran’s tense presidential election sparks fears of a rigged finale -- Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post
In tight Iran race, outspoken Rouhani breaks political taboos -- Parisa Hafezi, Reuters
When Iran Heads To The Polls, A Stark — If Limited — Choice Awaits -- NPR
Iran's battleground: Supreme Leader vs the President -- Massoumeh Torfeh, Al Jazeera
Iran is Holding Presidential Elections: Here are Four Things to Know -- Thomas Juneau, War on the Rocks

Iran's Presidential Election 'Heats-Up'

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani speaks as he visits Azadshahr mine explosion site in Azadshahr, Golestan Province, Iran May 7, 2017. President.ir/Handout via REUTERS

Reuters: Presidential hopefuls spar over economy as Trump turns screws on Iran

President Hassan Rouhani's trip to the coal mine in northern Iran was all going to plan, until the crowd massed in front of his car chanting "it's a day of mourning for workers".

Seconds later, shaky footage of Sunday's protest showed a man jumping onto the bonnet and stamping hard on the metalwork, a rare direct confrontation against the background of a highly-charged election race that keeps returning to one subject - Iran's stuttering economy.

Rouhani was officially there to visit families bereaved by an explosion at Zemestanyurt mine last week. But the protest slogans broadened out into other areas - poor safety standards, late payments, poor insurance coverage and seasonal unemployment.

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More News On Iran's Presidential Election

Iran's Rouhani says election rivals are 'violent extremists' -- AFP
Iran's president attacks rival's background in judiciary -- AP
Rouhani Tells Critics Their 'Era Is Over' as Iran's Vote Nears -- Bloomberg
Nuclear deal in focus in second Iranian presidential debate -- Al-Monitor
Iran's supreme leader slams Rouhani's 'Western influence' -- Middle East Eye
Social Media Skirts Censors in Iran as Election Race Heats Up -- Bloomberg
Iran’s May 19 Election Will Not Change Nature of Brutal Regime, Critics Say -- CNS News

Iran's Former President Hashemi Rafsanjani Dies At 82

Reuters: Former Iran president Rafsanjani dies in blow to moderates

Former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani died on Sunday at the age of 82, a big blow to moderates and reformists deprived now of their most influential supporter in the Islamic establishment.

He had been described as "a pillar of the Islamic revolution". His pragmatic policies – economic liberalization, better relations with the West and empowering elected bodies - appealed to many Iranians but were despised by hardliners.

Few have wielded such influence in modern Iran but since 2009 Rafsanjani and his family faced political isolation over their support for the opposition movement which lost a disputed election that year to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

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More News On The Death Of Former Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjan

Iran ex-president Rafsanjani dies -- AFP
Rafsanjani, Iran leader whose life mirrored nation's, dies -- AP
Iran's ex-President Rafsanjani dies at 82 -- BBC
Death of Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani Is Blow to Iran Reform Movement -- NYT
Iran’s former president, who was set to play crucial role in selecting next supreme leader, dies -- Washington Post
Former Iranian President Rafsanjani dies in hospital -- DW
Hashemi Rafsanjani, Former Iranian President, Dies at Age 82 -- Bloomberg
Iran's ex-President Hashemi Rafsanjani dies -- UPI
The death of ex-Iranian president Rafsanjani deals a blow to the nation’s moderates -- VICE News
Iran Religious Leader Dies: Former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani Was Tasked With Naming Next Ayatollah -- International Business Times

Who Will Replace Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei After He Has Died?

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei leads Friday prayers in Tehran. leader.ir/Reuters

Asharq Al Awsat: Rafsanjani Uncovers Secret Details for Choosing Khamenei’s Successor

London-Chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani revealed that secret negotiations are undergoing with hundreds of people to choose a successor of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Hashemi told Qanoun newspaper that a special committee at the Assembly of Experts had secret negotiations with hundreds of people on the matter of choosing a successor for Khamenei.

Chairman Rafsanjani went on to explain that at least two or three persons are following the cases of possible candidates and reporting back to the Assembly of Experts.

Rafsanjani explained that the special committee, that follows Article 107 of the Iranian Constitution, is assessing the candidates. He added that according to the law, the committee is required to study and evaluate every candidate, whereas the Assembly will choose Khamenei’s successor after his death.

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Update: Why Khamenei wants the next Supreme Leader to be ‘revolutionary’ (Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, Al Arabiya)

WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction .... whoever they choose will not change the role that the mullahs play in running and ruling Iran. Where it may change is in foreign relations .... in particular on the wars that are now waging throughout the Middle East. The generals who run the Iranian Revolutionary Guard want more support in these conflicts, and I will not be surprised if they will have a say in choosing the next Supreme Leader.

Politicians Allied To Iranian President Hassan Rouhani Gain In Run-Off Elections

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani speaks during a news conference in Islamabad, Pakistan, in this March 26, 2016 file photo. REUTERS/FAISAL MAHMOOD

Reuters: Iran's moderates make modest gains in run-off election

Politicians allied to President Hassan Rouhani came out strongest in a second round of parliamentary elections in Iran, early results showed on Saturday, but his moderate faction appeared unlikely to clinch an overall majority.

If confirmed, the results suggest Iran's next parliament will be more supportive of Rouhani's drive for economic reforms, but conservatives will remain a powerful force and could limit the prospects for social change.

Iranians voted on Friday for 68 seats where no candidate had won decisively in the first round. Rouhani's allies made significant gains in that vote, held in February, ending conservative dominance of the 290-seat assembly.

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WNU Editor: The power still resides with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei .... Iran elections: Nothing will change as long as Khamenei is alive, says Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi (IBTimes).

What Iranian Moderates?

Eli Lake, Bloomberg: Iran's Elections Are Magic

If you are following the Iranian elections, prepare to be dazzled. According to major news outlets from the BBC to the Associated Press, the reformists beat the hardliners.

But wait. Didn't Iran's Guardian Council disqualify most of the reformists back in January? Of course it did, but thanks to the magic of Iranian politics, many of yesterday's hardliners are today's reformist.

Take Kazem Jalali. Until this month, Jalali was one of those hardliners whom President Barack Obama had hoped to marginalize with the Iran nuclear deal. Jalali has, for example, called for sentencing to death the two leaders of the Green Movement, who are currently under house arrest. And yet, he ran on the list endorsed by the reformists in Friday's election.

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WNU Editor: The AP has a different point of view .... Iranian moderates win majority in parliament, clerical body (AP). What's my take .... if these are Iran's moderates, I hate to know who are the hard-liners who lost.

Iranian 'Moderates' Make Gains In Early Election Results

Reuters: Rouhani, moderates make big gains in Iran polls-early results

President Hassan Rouhani won a resounding vote of confidence and reformist allies won 29 out of Tehran's 30 parliamentary seats in elections that could speed Iran's post-sanctions opening to the world, early results released on Saturday showed.

Tens of millions thronged polling stations on Friday for a twin vote for the 290-seat parliament and the 88-member Assembly of Experts, which selects the country's highest authority, the supreme leader.

President Rouhani's reformist allies made gains in the races for parliament and the assembly, both in the hands of anti-Western hardliners for years. He said Iran's election had given the government more credibility and clout.

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More News On Iran's Parliamentary Elections

Iran Election: Early Results Show Reformists Making Gains -- NBC/AP
Iran election: Reformists win all 30 Tehran seats -- BBC
Iran president's allies make stunning gains in Tehran -- AFP
Moderates Leading in Tehran in Iranian Elections -- WSJ
Reformists in Lead as Iran's Parliamentary Vote Counting Continues -- VOA
Iran election: Reformists poised to win parliamentary seats, ministry says -- CNN
Iran: Rouhani praises 'people power' after elections -- Al Jazeera
Iran’s moderates on course to defeat hardliners in crucial parliamentary election – early results -- RT
Iran Elections 2016: President Hassan Rouhani’s Moderate, Reformist Allies Win All Tehran Seats In Parliamentary Polls -- IBTimes

Iran Votes For A New Parliament And A Council Of Clerics

New York Times: As Some Iranians Register Dislike at Polls, Others Do So by Staying Home

TEHRAN — Iranians in middle-class areas of the capital stood in long lines to vote in national elections on Friday, with many saying they supported the few candidates seeking change who were allowed to run. But in less prosperous areas, there was much less enthusiasm, and turnout seemed lower.

“At least if I vote for a reformist, I will reduce the number of hard-liners,” said Shahin Hemati, a 28-year-old dentist, expressing a widespread attitude in the more affluent areas. “If the hard-liners are voted in, this will be a nightmare for me.”

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More News On Iran Voting For A New Parliament And A Council Of Clerics

Millions vote in Iran poll set to shape post-sanctions era -- Reuters
Iranians queue for crucial elections after nuclear deal -- AFP
Iran votes in first elections since landmark nuclear deal -- AP
Voting underway in Iran elections with moderates forced to the sidelines -- Washington Post
Iran elections: Crucial polls a test for Rouhani -- Al Jazeera
Iran election extended amid high turnout -- BBC

Iranians Go To The Polls To Elect A New Parliament On Friday

Washington Post: As Iranians vote Friday, most moderate candidates are left off ballots

Iranians vote Friday in national elections that once had the potential to be pivotal until almost every would-be candidate advocating reform was barred from running.

With only a limited number of moderates and reformers on the ballot, analysts say the election is unlikely to foreshadow a history-making moment of change in Iran. The parliament and many other government bodies will continue to be dominated by conservatives, constraining the ability of Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s pragmatist president, to push through reforms.

But the election — the first since a nuclear deal lifted most of the international sanctions that had hobbled economic growth — is being closely watched nevertheless.

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More News On Tomorrow's Iranian Elections

Political factions competing in Friday’s Iranian elections -- AP
Man behind Iran's mass barring of candidates contests assembly vote -- Reuters
Iran elections: reformists seek political gains but face apathy in key poll -- The Guardian
Iran's Reformists Hoping for Boost in Parliament Election -- AP
Conciliator Rouhani seeks gains for moderates in Iran polls -- Reuters
Iran’s reformists hoping for boost in parliament election -- AP
Why Iran's youth plan to vote despite muted expectations of change -- Scott Peterson, CSM
Friday’s Iranian Elections Will Be Deeply Flawed, but Also Meaningful -- Joshua Keating, Slate
Elections, Iranian style -- DW
Iran Elections 2016: A Guide To The Iranian Vote, Key Issues And Why It Matters -- Michael Kaplan, IBTimes
Everything You Need to Know About Iran’s Elections -- Ian Bremmer, Time

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Commander Criticizes His Government Over Western Influence

Iran's Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammad Ali Jafari. Fars News Agency

Iran Commander Criticizes Government Over Influence From West -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard force has criticized the government of President Hassan Rouhani as being under the influence of Western ideas, a sign of the growing tensions between the competing power centers.

Major General Mohammad Jafari's comments are some of the sharpest to be made by a senior official in public since the moderate Rouhani took office in August pledging to improve Iran's relations with regional countries and the West.

The government's diplomatic initiative led to an agreement with six world powers last month under which Iran is to curb its disputed nuclear program in return for limited relief from sanctions that have squeezed its economy.

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More News On Iran's Revolutionary Guards Commander Criticizing His Government Over Western Influence

Iran: Guards chief criticizes foreign minister -- Washington Post/AP
Military Chief in Iran Scolds a Top Official -- New York Times
Iran's Revolutionary Guard head hits out at Hassan Rouhani's government -- The Telegraph
Iran’s hardliners tell Zarif to steer clear of military issues -- The National
Tehran’s talks with world powers seemingly causing friction in leadership -- Jerusalem Post

Update: Iran foreign minister defends himself against hardline "slander" -- Reuters

Iran's Supreme Leader Criticizes President Hassan Rouhani’s Overtures To The U.S.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the ultimate word on political and religious affairs under Iran's clerically dominated system. Radio Free Europe

Ayatollah Questions Aspects of Rouhani’s Trip -- New York Times

TEHRAN — Iran’s supreme leader expressed support on Saturday for Iran’s diplomatic outreach at the United Nations but criticized some of President Hassan Rouhani’s moves as “inappropriate.”

Analysts had been waiting for the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to take a position on the trip after powerful commanders of the Revolutionary Guards criticized the historic phone call between President Hassan Rouhani of Iran and President Obama. Critics said that Mr. Rouhani should not have taken the call from Mr. Obama.

Speaking to students of an military aeronautical university in Tehran, Mr. Khamenei said he supported the government’s diplomatic efforts during Mr. Rouhani’s trip to New York but said that “some of the events” had been “inappropriate.” Mr. Khamenei’s comments were published on his Web site.

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More News On Iran's Supreme Leader Criticizing President Hassan Rouhani’s Overtures To The U.S.

Iran's Khamenei says part of diplomatic opening in New York 'not proper' -- Reuters
Hassan Rouhani's New York diplomacy 'not proper' says Iran's Supreme Leader -- The Telegraph
Iran's Khamenei: Part of Diplomatic Push in New York 'Not Proper' -- Voice of America
Iran's Khamenei criticises 'some' of Rouhani's UN trip -- AFP
Iran's Khamenei Says U.S. Cannot Be Trusted -- Radio Free Europe
Iran's supreme leader criticizes president over New York trip -- Deutsche Welle
Khamenei criticizes ‘some’ of Rowhani’s diplomatic efforts at U.N. -- Al Arabiya

Iran's New President Prepares For His Inauguration

Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei Endorses Hasan Rouhani As President -- The Guardian

Supreme leader gives official approval to Rouhani, who won landslide victory in presidential elections on 14 June

Iran's supreme leader has formally endorsed Hasan Rouhani as the country's president, opening the way for the moderate cleric to take over from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

In a ceremony broadcast live on state television on Saturday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave his official approval for Rouhani. As the ultimate authority in Iran, Khamenei has the final say in all key matters, including Rouhani's upcoming selections for key cabinet posts, such as the foreign and intelligence ministers.

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More News On Iran's New President

Iran's Rouhani to be publicly inaugurated -- Al Jazeera
Rouhani Takes Office as Iran's 7th President -- Voice of America
Rouhani becomes Iran's president after Ayatollah Khamenei's endorsement -- Reuters
Iran Supreme Leader Endorses Hassan Rouhani as New President -- RIA Novosti
Iran’s supreme leader formally endorses Hassan Rouhani as president -- Washington Post
Iran’s President Puts New Focus on the Economy -- New York Times
Iran's incoming president stokes hope, cynicism -- FOX News
From Glasgow student to president of Iran -- Richard Galpin, BBC News

Iran's President Says He Will Engage With The West

President-Elect Of Iran Says He Will Engage With The West -- New York Times

TEHRAN — Iran’s president-elect, Hassan Rouhani, said Saturday that he would engage with the West and fulfill his electoral promises to allow more freedom for the Iranian people.

Mr. Rouhani, who calls himself a moderate, won the June 14 presidential election by a large margin, surprising many who expected Iran’s governing establishment to block any candidate calling for change. Hinting at the revolutions that have ousted several leaders in the Middle East, Mr. Rouhani emphasized that it was important to listen to the “majority of Iranians.”

“In our region, there were some countries who miscalculated their positions, and you have witnessed what happened to them,” he said during a live broadcast of a conference organized by Voice and Vision, Iran’s state television and radio organization.

“The world is in a transitional mood, and a new order has yet to be established,” he said. “If we miscalculate our national situation, it will be detrimental for us.”

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My Comment: He "talks the talk" but will he "walk the walk". What is my prediction .... if the history of Iran is any indication .... he will just be like the rest .... great promises .... no delivery.

Two Candidates For The Iranian Presidency Are Wanted By Interpol

Former Iranian Intelligence Minister Ali Fallahian seems to be in favor of dropping the country's nuclear program and improving ties with the United States.

Wanted by Interpol, Iran’s Ex-Intelligence Minister To Run For President -- Radio Free Europe

One of the most feared figures of Iran’s Islamic establishment has announced his candidacy in the country's June 14 presidential vote.

Ali Fallahian, a member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts who served as intelligence minister under former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, has been accused of involvement in the killings of Iranian dissidents and is on Interpol’s wanted list for alleged participation in the 1995 bombing of a Jewish center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people.

He announced his candidacy on February 19 in Birjand. “People’s requests to me have reached a threshold; my candidacy in the presidential vote is definite,” Fallahian said.

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My Comment: A thug who now wants to be Iran's next President .... and he is not the worst candidate.