Mohammad Ali Iazi: The Pressure of Sanctions May Lead to Support for Reformists

Mohammad Ali Iazi, a member of the Assembly of Researchers and Teachers of Qom Seminary, referring to a group of critics and opponents of the Islamic Republic's policies who have chosen the option of 'no' in the presidential elections, questions what they hope to achieve by not participating in the elections. According to Mr. Iazi, during the Islamic Revolution of February 1979, Iranians realized that if they had followed a reformist path, many of their problems could have been resolved. The author of the book 'The Realm of Implementing Sharia in a Religious Government' believes that the entry of Masoud Pezeshkian, the candidate supported by the Reform Front, into the elections has changed some equations, and he states that the despair and frustration that existed in parts of society have diminished. However, Ayatollah Iazi emphasizes that the challenges facing Masoud Pezeshkian in reaching the Presidential Office are significant. In an interview with Radio Farda, Mr. Iazi considers the entry of Mohammad Javad Zarif, the foreign minister of Hassan Rouhani's government, into Pezeshkian's electoral campaign to be influential and believes that the simultaneous pressure from public opinion and a group he refers to as 'sanction advocates' could lead to increased support for the reformist candidate. This cleric, who criticizes mandatory hijab and morality police, compares Hassan Rouhani and Masoud Pezeshkian and finds their approaches to be different. He states that citizens who are convinced to vote know that Mr. Pezeshkian has the capacity to achieve at least minimal goals relatively and does not make promises. He is seeking agreement and interaction with other branches of government to solve minimal problems.