Ambiguity Surrounds the Status of Ahmad Vahidi's 'Interrogation'; Interior Minister: Political Deputy Not Dismissed, Has No Activity

Ahmad Vahidi, the Interior Minister of Ebrahim Raisi's government, amidst ambiguity regarding his own 'interrogation' despite managerial changes, claimed that he did not 'dismiss' his political deputy but rather decided that, for the sake of avoiding conflict between the two branches of government, it was best for him to no longer have any activity. Vahidi stated on the social media platform X (Twitter): 'The political deputy was not dismissed; rather, it was deemed appropriate for him to no longer have any activity to prevent a conflict between the two branches.' This statement was also reflected by the Telegram channel of the 'Iran' newspaper, which is affiliated with the Islamic Republic government, confirming its attribution to the Interior Minister of Ebrahim Raisi's cabinet. Vahidi's remarks regarding 'Mohammad Reza Gholamreza,' published today, August 30, come after Gholamreza, following his resignation from the 'political deputy of the Ministry of Interior' and 'head of the Election Headquarters,' defended his controversial directive to governors, mayors, and district heads regarding preventing parliamentary representatives from interfering in executive affairs in a nine-point statement released on the evening of August 22. On June 1, the political deputy of the Ministry of Interior issued a directive to the provincial and district governors, declaring the entry of representatives 'in executive affairs in the final year of the parliament' as prohibited. This issue turned into a serious dispute between the legislative and executive branches of the Iranian government, and shortly thereafter, both the Interior Minister and Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, claimed that parts of this 'controversial directive' had been revoked. This change in the managerial position within part of the Islamic Republic's government faced many controversies, to the extent that the student Basij of 'Greater Tehran Universities' reacted on August 25 to the 'dismissal' of the political deputy of the Ministry of Interior by sending a 'protest letter' to the Interior Minister and holding a gathering in front of the ministry's building. In the 'protest letter,' eight Basij student organizations from Tehran universities stated: 'The Interior Minister should know that with this 'extortion,' he has established a bad precedent that will affect other branches and institutions until the end of this parliament.' The dismissed political deputy, Mohammad Reza Gholamreza, previously held positions such as the deputy of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the deputy minister of intelligence. On the other hand, the 'Ham-Mihan' newspaper published in Tehran on August 24 quoted Shahryar Heydari, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stating: 'The interrogation of the Interior Minister was not due to his political deputy; rather, the issue of the political deputy was added later,' and the interrogators 'have various questions for the Interior Minister that remain valid.' However, Alireza Salimi, a member of the board of directors of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stated on August 28 regarding the latest status of the Interior Minister's interrogation, which 'some representatives were pursuing,' that 'this interrogation has been canceled and will no longer be pursued.' Although Alireza Bigi, a member of the Internal Affairs and Councils Commission, told the ILNA news agency that Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, 'personally' pursued the change of the political deputy of the Ministry of Interior and the number of those who have withdrawn their signatures from Ahmad Vahidi's interrogation is 'not significant.' Baqer Qalibaf, who also has a history of commanding the IRGC, stated two days ago in a public speech that he did not consider the interrogation of the Interior Minister to be 'appropriate.' Finally, following the dismissal or 'resignation' of the political deputy of the Ministry of Interior, Mohammad Taghi Shahcheraghi, 62, and the governor of Qom, who also has a history of commanding the IRGC, was appointed to this position and the presidency of the Islamic Republic's Election Headquarters on Tuesday, August 24.