Ahmadinejad's Letter to Trump: Appreciate the 'Transient Four-Year Opportunity'

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former President of Iran, in a letter addressed to the President of the United States, welcomed Donald Trump's critical views regarding the 'electoral and political system of America' and advised him to appreciate his 'transient four-year opportunity' and 'make the most of every moment of it.' Ahmadinejad, who has a history of correspondence with previous U.S. Presidents George Bush and Barack Obama, addressed the current U.S. President in a lengthy letter, a copy of which has reportedly been provided to the Swiss Embassy, acting as the U.S. interests protector in Iran. According to an Associated Press report, the Swiss Embassy in Tehran declined to comment on the letter, and U.S. officials were also unavailable for comment. Ahmadinejad's letter covers a wide range of topics including the 'U.S. electoral system', 'the country's dominance over the United Nations', 'U.S. defense spending', 'the status of immigrants', and 'racism and racial discrimination', urging Trump to 'fight against the roots of corruption' and 'support the oppressed people of America.' Ahmadinejad, whose two deputies have been tried for financial corruption, and one is still serving a sentence, wrote to Trump that 'you have rightly described the political system and electoral structure of America as corrupt and anti-people' and claimed that 'the U.S. electoral system has enslaved the votes of the people for decades to a small group that appears to govern in the guise of two parties but is actually representing a minority, namely the leaders of global wealth and power.' He stated that his interpretation of the recent U.S. presidential election is that 'the election result was contrary to the usual process and outside the will and prediction of the ruling elite and the main political forces behind the scenes in America' and believes this election 'has revealed part of the real and accumulated demands of the American people.' Ahmadinejad, who has been introduced as the winner of two controversial elections in Iran and has led the government twice, subsequently recommended that 'changing the U.S. electoral system and liberating the will and interests of the people from this imposed captivity is a significant and fundamental reform.' He accused previous U.S. administrations of 'self-superiority', 'humiliating others', and 'seeking America's security in the insecurity of others', advising that 'we must seek equality and brotherhood among nations and refrain from superiority and attempts to dominate others.' The former Iranian president then reminded Trump of the U.S. defense budget and claimed that expert assessments of the costs related to 'defending America's geographical borders and ensuring internal security' are much lower. He criticized the 'dominance of successive U.S. governments' over the United Nations, describing it as 'preventing the proper functioning' of this organization. Regarding terrorism, Ahmadinejad accused U.S. allied security agencies and governments of 'financial, intelligence, and military support' for what he termed terrorists and urged Trump to cut off their financial and intelligence resources. The Associated Press noted that Ahmadinejad's letter could be an attempt to repair his image in public opinion, especially after a potential candidacy for the upcoming election faced rejection from the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. Although Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been explicitly prohibited from participating in the elections by the Islamic leader and has also stated that he will not support any candidate in the upcoming elections, reports have emerged of at least eight members of his cabinet expressing readiness to run, with at least three of them officially announcing their willingness to run. Among them, Ahmadinejad's closest associate, Hamid Baghaei, who was arrested last June on charges of 'embezzlement' and released in January of the same year, remains a focal point. It is still unclear whether Baghaei's case has been closed or is still under judicial review. On Sunday, however, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, another close figure to Ahmadinejad, fully supported Baghaei's candidacy, stating that Baghaei is 'even more similar to Ahmadinejad' and 'has no rival in this election.' He warned that if Baghaei's candidacy is disqualified, 'a dangerous bipolarity will emerge' and claimed that 'Ahmadinejad's absence would lead to a decrease in public participation in the elections, but with Baghaei's entry, we will try to prevent a drop in votes.' The former head of Ahmadinejad's office added that 'Baghaei, according to legal standards, is among the political figures, and I do not see anyone among the political figures who would dare to joke with Baghaei.' In addition to Hamid Baghaei, Rostam Qasemi and Hamid Reza Hajibabaei, former ministers in Ahmadinejad's cabinet, have also expressed readiness to run in the upcoming elections, and reports indicate that five other members of Ahmadinejad's cabinet, namely Mehrdad Bazrpash, Mohammad Mahdi Zahedi, Mohammad Ali Abadi, and Masoud Zaribafan, have also announced their readiness to run for election.