Ahmadinejad: Rouhani and the Larijani Brothers Should Resign Due to the State of the Country

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for the resignation of Hassan Rouhani and the Larijani brothers from their positions in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Islamic Republic. In a message published on his Telegram channel, Ahmadinejad stated that the people no longer 'accept' Rouhani, and that his continued presence in the presidency is detrimental to both Iran and himself, suggesting he should not continue. He addressed Rouhani, saying, 'Mr. Rouhani, your nation does not accept you. How can they express this? Your continued presence is harmful to the country and to yourself.' Ahmadinejad has characterized Rouhani, the two political factions in the country, and judiciary heads Sadeq and Ali Larijani as 'partners' in the current state of the nation, adding, 'You must gain the people's satisfaction. Perhaps the best way is to not continue.' The former president criticized the current dissatisfaction of the nation, stating that they are 'looking into the eyes of the people and delivering contrary information.' Ahmadinejad, who has been accused by his opponents of making 'false' statements and presenting 'inaccurate' statistics during his presidency, labeled Rouhani's claims that 'warehouses are empty, the treasury is empty, and the government is in debt' as 'fundamentally inaccurate.' He asserted that both of Rouhani's administrations were based on 'a series of incorrect and designed foundations' and that his silence over the past five years was due to 'respect for the people's vote' and the importance of the country. Ahmadinejad accused Rouhani of imposing 'a five-year recession' on the country, stating that in negotiations with the West, 'he has given concessions but has not brought any benefits to the nation, and we have fallen behind for five years.' He noted that since the beginning of Rouhani's presidency, the country's situation has deteriorated to the point where 'the economy is on the verge of collapse and public trust in the entire system is nearing zero.' Without naming any specific individuals or groups, he posed the question of 'who is responsible in this situation?' While criticizing Rouhani's negotiations with the West, Ahmadinejad previously claimed that his own 'active foreign policy' initiated negotiations with the United States. Regarding the 'achievements' of his two administrations, he stated that 'due to active foreign policies and scientific and economic advancements, the U.S. was forced to propose negotiations and cooperation.' Ahmadinejad accused Rouhani of being responsible for all 'pretexts' for issuing resolutions and sanctions against Iran, stating, 'All the excuses of foreigners for issuing resolutions and sanctions date back to the time when Mr. Rouhani was in charge of the nuclear program. They have no excuses from the time of the ninth and tenth administrations.' He had also previously stated that he opposed direct negotiations between Iran and the U.S. in Oman, which occurred in the last years of his presidency with the permission of the Supreme Leader. Earlier, Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization during Rouhani's administration and foreign minister during Ahmadinejad's, had reported that Iran and the U.S. had negotiated multiple times at the deputy foreign minister level in Oman during the final years of Ahmadinejad's presidency. Following the Supreme Leader's opposition to his candidacy in the last presidential election and pressure on senior officials of his administrations, Ahmadinejad has severely criticized the entirety of the Islamic Republic and all its main institutions and structures.