Khamenei Warns Candidates: Enemy-Pleasing Statements Are Not Permissible

As the debates for the 14th presidential election are held and the election atmosphere in Iran remains cold, Ali Khamenei urged candidates to avoid 'enemy-pleasing' statements. The Supreme Leader made these remarks on Saturday, July 2, during a meeting with the head and senior officials of Iran's judiciary. He stated: 'My recommendation is that the discussions that the candidates have on television or the statements they make, whether in groups or individually, should not lead any candidate to say something to defeat their rival that would please the enemy.' He explicitly told the six candidates in the upcoming presidential election that statements he described as 'enemy-pleasing... are not permissible' and that 'the statements made should not make the enemy of the country, the enemy of the nation, or the enemy of the system happy.' These remarks come at a time when many political, civil activists, and media figures describe the candidates' statements as 'repetitive,' 'boring,' and lacking 'creativity.' So far, three rounds of debates among the six candidates have been held, and their solo programs with experts and some family members have also been broadcasted on Islamic Republic TV, most of which have faced criticism. However, contrary to public opinion, which is well reflected in the Persian-speaking social media, Khamenei stated that the television programs 'are being conducted well and are familiarizing the people with the opinions and votes of various candidates.' The Supreme Leader's direct request for self-censorship from candidates comes at a time when some political activists have recently written that candidates lack the courage to take clear positions on sensitive issues such as mandatory hijab, sanctions, and restrictions on access to free internet. A number of users, including former political prisoners such as Mehdi Mahmoudian and Hossein Razag, who have explicitly stated they will not vote, have insisted on boycotting the elections by sharing a poster of Khamenei's remarks that 'each vote is actually a vote for the Islamic Republic.' Despite Khamenei's praise, the daily newspaper Jomhouri Eslami wrote in its July 2 issue: 'In some cases, we have considered the title 'political figure' to apply to those who are neither familiar with the alphabet of management nor the alphabet of ethics. This behavior belittles the people, the country, and the political system of the country. The solution is to respect the people's intelligence and come up with a new plan.' Khamenei had previously emphasized the necessity of 'increasing participation and holding a magnificent election' without addressing the factors leading to decreased electoral participation, including the widespread suppression of peaceful protests in Iran. In his remarks today, he again ignored the issue of disqualifications and the people's reluctance to participate in elections, imposing yet another restriction on candidates. Following the death of Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage in a helicopter crash, he has been referred to as a 'martyr of service,' effectively closing off avenues for criticism of his incomplete government performance. Although some candidates, including Mostafa Pourmohammadi, have briefly criticized Raisi's presidency, no candidate has explicitly criticized Raisi and his government. The 14th presidential election in Iran is set to take place on July 8 to determine the successor of Ebrahim Raisi, who was unable to complete his first presidential term.