Misbahi-Moghadam: Ahmadinejad Gave a Report to the Leader Indicating We Have Reached the End of the Line

Gholamreza Misbahi Moghadam, spokesperson for the Combatant Clergy Association and representative of the ninth parliament, stated that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, during his second presidential term, had told the Leader of Iran in a 'report' that 'we have reached the end of the line' and 'we must sign the Security Council resolutions.' However, the Leader responded that he would take responsibility for the nuclear file himself. In an interview with the 'Entekhab' website published on Tuesday, May 21, he emphasized that due to the actions of the special economic measures headquarters in the ninth government, which aimed to circumvent sanctions, 'Ahmadinejad gave a report to the Leader stating that we have reached the end of the line and, considering the Security Council resolutions regarding nuclear energy, we must sign it,' but the Leader opposed this report. He added, 'After this opposition, Ahmadinejad met with the Leader and said if you do not accept this view, I am no longer responsible for this file, and the Leader firmly stated that he would take this responsibility.' Misbahi Moghadam did not mention the timing of this report or Ahmadinejad's meeting with Ali Khamenei, the Leader of Iran. The spokesperson for the Combatant Clergy Association also did not provide further details regarding the contents of Ahmadinejad's report, and it remains unclear when the president, who previously referred to the Security Council's sanctions as 'pieces of paper,' changed his opinion. During the Iran-Iraq war in 1988, following a letter from the commander of the Revolutionary Guards to Ayatollah Khomeini regarding the necessary resources to continue the war, the founder of the Republic also accepted Resolution 598. With the coming to power of Hassan Rouhani's government, the dispute over Iran's nuclear program was resolved within the framework of a nuclear agreement with six world powers. Ahmadinejad 'does not deserve to return.' Misbahi Moghadam, in response to a question about the possibility of Ahmadinejad running in the 2017 presidential elections, said, 'I do not think Ahmadinejad wants to enter the election arena; the reason is the actions he took during his second term.' He pointed out that 'Ahmadinejad does not deserve to return to the power scene,' adding, 'He damaged his image in front of many individuals and reputable figures, which led him to voluntarily retreat to the sidelines.' Misbahi Moghadam continued, 'When we review Ahmadinejad's management record, we cannot conclude that he can manage a country like Iran.' The spokesperson for the Combatant Clergy Association further stated, 'The first different figure Ahmadinejad showed was related to his first vice president, Mashaei, who faced written and confidential opposition from the Leader, which he ignored for a week. After a week, the parliament intervened, and Abutorabi-Fard made this confidential letter public through the parliament's podium, which still did not have an effect until Mashaei voluntarily resigned, preferring this resignation to the Leader's letter.' He also referred to Ahmadinejad's eleven-day house arrest, which was the first time a president in Iran had done so, stating that due to his house arrest, the parliament raised the issue of impeachment, after which he returned to the presidential office.