Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad threw his country’s upcoming election into turmoil last week when he registered as a candidate to run for president again.
You may remember Ahmadinejad as the Iranian leader who frequently outraged the West with his outbursts of inflammatory rhetoric and warlike policies during his eight years in office from 2005 to 2013. He questioned the scale of the Holocaust, called for the demise of Israel, and expanded Iran’s nuclear program.
His surprise candidacy is seen as a direct challenge to the authority of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Khamenei had warned Ahmadinejad not to nominate himself, saying in September that his candidacy could create divisions in Iran and harm the country.
As quoted in the Jerusalem Post, Khamenei said, “He (Ahmadinejad) came to me and I told him not to stand as I think it is not in his interest and that of the country.”
At first, Ahmadinejad indicated he would comply and stay out of the race, saying he would support his former deputy Hamid Baghaei, who also registered on the same day.
But at a press conference last week, Ahmadinejad characterized Khamenei’s warning not to put his name forward as “just advice.”
Ahmadinejad’s candidacy must still be approved by Iran’s Guardian Council, which is closely aligned with Khamenei, who appoints half its members.
What Ahmadinejad may be thinking
Ahmadinejad and Baghaei seem to be responding to a growing desire of hardliners in Iran, who seek a tough-talking candidate who will stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Iran’s current president, the more moderate Hassan Rouhani, who negotiated Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, is expected to run for reelection. And, he seems to still enjoy the support of Khamenei.
Some observers are speculating that Ahmadinejad may be registering as a strategy to help Baghaei, who is one of his primary allies.
In fact, Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying that he registered “only to support Baghaei.”
By registering as a candidate himself, Ahmadinejad may be trying to discourage the Guardian Council from disqualifying Baghaei. The thought is that the Council may not want to risk angering hardliners by voiding the candidacy of both at the same time.
The Council is composed of clerics and Islamic jurists and normally disqualifies dissidents, women, and most reformists. It is scheduled to release the list of approved candidates by April 27.
Last week after registering his candidacy, Ahmadinejad commented on recent missile strikes — ordered by President Trump against a Syrian government airbase — in response to a chemical weapons attack by Syria against a rebel-held town.
“I do not think it has a message for Iran,” said Ahmadinejad in the Times of Israel. “Iran is a powerful country and people like Mr. Trump or the United States administration cannot hurt Iran.”
The Trump administration had earlier this year announced it was putting Iran “on notice,” in part over its ballistic missile tests. Iran has been the primary regional supporter of Syrian President Bashar Assad in that country’s civil war. Iran is also directly involved in providing military support to the Syrian government.
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