Mahdavi Azad: Khamenei has apparently accepted that the next president will be Hassan Rouhani

The Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, denied any interference in various elections on Tuesday, April 1, in the city of Mashhad, while stating that he would stand against anyone who "challenges the people's vote." Khamenei claimed he does not interfere in elections and has never told the people to "choose this and not that." However, he announced that he would intervene only in one case: when someone tries to "stand against the people's vote and break it." In an interview with Mahdi Mahdavi Azad, a journalist and political analyst in Germany, I asked for his assessment of Khamenei's remarks. Mahdavi Azad stated that Khamenei's tone was milder than in the past, suggesting that he has somewhat accepted that the next president will be Hassan Rouhani. Therefore, despite recent positions, he has made significant efforts to present himself as a supporter of the people and above political factions. He added: "The reality is that Khamenei's focus on economic issues is a political tactic to divert the civil demands of the people and part of Rouhani's important promises regarding political freedoms, the release of political prisoners, lifting house arrest, and relations with the West."