Tehran, Iran, Mar. 10
By Mehdi Sepahvand – Trend:
Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not actually running for president. However, his recent activities seem to be heading to some point to endorse someone close to him for the upcoming election.
Iran’s presidential election is going to be held on May 19. President Hassan Rouhani will be running for a second term. Ahmadinejad, however, was barred from running for president by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in September 2016.
In his most recent statement, Ahmadinejad said he will not run for president “directly,” but added “other friends are not barred,” Entekhab news website reported March 10.
The ex-president also gave a justification for a recent heat in his activities, saying, “Nobody can be indifferent to the nation’s fate during election or any other occasion and hand the country over to enemies.”
Ahmadinejad recently made it to the news on one or two occasions. The first was when he wrote a lengthy letter to US President Donald Trump. The second was when he launched a Twitter account. Twitter is still banned in Iran, a trophy of his presidency.
Many in Iran believe his recent activities come in anticipation of the upcoming election, saying he is sure to have a representative run for president.
Hamid Baghaei, who used to serve as head of the presidential office during Ahmadinejad, recently announced his intention to run for president this year.