Ahmadinejad: 'Revolutionary' or 'Mirror of the Leader's Discontent'?

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has registered to run in the presidential elections, despite the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic advising him last September not to run for his own and the country's good. At that time, Ahmadinejad wrote a letter to Ayatollah Khamenei stating that he would not run in the elections as per his advice. However, about a month ago, he said in the Imam's Line Review Council that the Supreme Leader's statement about him not running does not mean he should be indifferent. During this time, the former president of Iran has been politically active, issuing statements and participating in events, including attending the February 22 rally, visiting Persepolis, and being present in the Tehran market, as well as promoting a tree-planting initiative. On the day of his registration at the election headquarters, he announced that Ayatollah Khamenei's recommendation did not mean he would not participate as a candidate. This is not the first time Ahmadinejad has defied the Supreme Leader's orders. But what is Ahmadinejad's goal in registering for the elections? Has he emerged as an opposition figure to Ayatollah Khamenei? This week's Views program has addressed this topic with two guests: Reza Alijani, a political analyst close to the national-religious faction in Paris, and Farhad Jafari, a writer and political analyst in Mashhad. Farhad Jafari believes that both Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Khamenei have a revolutionary spirit, which may lead the former president to pay a price for registering in the elections. Reza Alijani also states that Ahmadinejad has become a mirror of the Supreme Leader's discontent and will pay a cost for defying his advice.