Analysis by PMOI/MEK
Iran, May 26, 2019 – Iranian regime President Hassan Rouhani described political rivals who have recently increased their rhetorical attacks against him and his camp as “traitors.” These remarks were delivered on Saturday night at a meeting with reporters of the regime’s state-run outlets, indicating a new escalation of internal disputes as domestic and global crises increase for the mullahs ruling Iran.
Last Monday, Iranian regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei turned down Rouhani’s recent requests for more authority, emphasizing there is nothing wrong with the regime’s constitution and insisting, “We have problems with our officials.”
In response to Khamenei’s remarks, Rouhani once again very specifically reiterated his demands for more authority.
“As new sanctions have been levied against us, I raised the issue with the Supreme Leader that during these wartime circumstances the country needs an agenda and a commander. You are our commander and we are your followers. He said no and then said you have to take up command yourselves. There’s nothing wrong with that and anyone can become a commander. However, the authority of these commanders is important. Otherwise, ‘I am a commander.’ What is the result of all this? It will bear no fruit. The authority of this commander is important!” he added.
Rouhani also responded to Khamenei’s remarks about placing all the blame of the 2015 nuclear deal failure on his shoulders, reiterating that back in 2004 Khamenei had even agreed with holding a referendum about entering negotiations.
“Back in 2004, I asked the Supreme Leader to place the nuclear issue before the people based on Article 59 of the constitution. I explained and even sent a written letter to him, in addition to expressing my thoughts in person. He considered the reference to this article as a positive measure and agreed. However, there was no mentioning of when this [referendum] would be carried out. Then, a new president came into office and everything changed,” Rouhani said in reference to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad being selected as the regime’s president back in 2005.
Rouhani continued lashing at his rivals using the term “the Iranian nation and history” as a title for himself.
“There are those who think if the people lose their trust in the government those supporting the government will not garner any votes in the upcoming Majlis (parliament) elections. Others are heard raising the stakes even further, saying we must place pressure on the government and tell the people they do not know how to govern the country in order to have our members enter the Majlis. If this is true it would be the biggest act of treason against the Iranian nation and history,” he said.
Khamenei in his remarks had specifically emphasized on “paving the path for a young and Hezbollah-style government.”
In the past few weeks, the regime’s Majlis has witnessed massive attacks by the Khamenei camp against Rouhani.
Majlis member Hossein Maghsoudi described the Rouhani faction as “an enemy larger than America,” adding they are signaling a war with the U.S. in order to further plunder the country.
Another Majlis member by the name of Hossein Ali Shahriari said the report card of Rouhani’s cabinet is engulfed in “corruption, bribes, injustice, and discrimination…”
Other Khamenei camp members are describing Rouhani as a president who has constantly violated the regime’s own laws.
Rouhani even attacked the regime’s own media outlets, asking why don’t they repeat his lies of “natural gas being provided to ten new villages each day” and “drinking water to 30 new villages each month” in their daily news headlines.
“You lack the courage to criticize the shortcomings of other apparatuses. You should publish the government’s successes. All the while you have no will to criticize the judiciary, the Majlis and others…,” he said.
Despite his previous remarks about having “seven paths” to bypass oil sanctions imposed on the mullahs’ regime, Rouhani referred to just a portion of the pressures imposed on Tehran.
“The fact that Iran’s ship could not dock in foreign ports for 10 days to unload is unprecedented in our history. The U.S. State Department is constantly in contact with that small country to not allow our ship to dock. This is unprecedented in the past 40 years. The fact that an oil tanker is shipping Iran’s oil is followed by satellites during its entire voyage, registering its number, constantly knowing where it is, who is buying, who is selling… All this is unprecedented in the past 40 years,” Rouhani explained.
In another segment of his remarks, Rouhani specifically warned the regime’s factions saying that in the current circumstances their priority should be safeguarding the mullahs’ regime at all costs, even if it means the people becoming even poorer.
“People may have lesser to eat at nights and live in hardships. In my opinion, this is not important. This is not our priority,” he said.
