Presidential Office: Refrain from Speculating About the Twelfth Cabinet

Following the publication of numerous news reports regarding the composition of Hassan Rouhani's new government, the Presidential Office on Saturday issued a statement asking the country's media to "refrain from any speculation" about the composition of this cabinet. The Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) quoted the Presidential Office's statement, which was released on Saturday, August 7, calling the news and reports about the new government composition "unsubstantiated claims." The issue of the new cabinet composition of Hassan Rouhani has been extensively discussed in the media for about a month, with various individuals, groups, and organizations seeking to influence the appointment or dismissal of specific ministers according to their own goals and demands. Recently, several members of parliament have also stated, based on "rumors," that Hassan Rouhani intends to coordinate with the leader regarding all members of his cabinet. For instance, Mahmoud Sadeghi, a representative from Tehran, tweeted that "according to common practice," presidents would coordinate two or three ministers with the Supreme Leader, but Hassan Rouhani claims he will coordinate all cabinet members with him. This matter has gained enough importance for the Supreme Leader to respond. The Office for the Publication of the Supreme Leader's Works stated on Friday, August 6, in a note that Ayatollah Khamenei's intervention in the selection of government ministers is "focused on the effectiveness" of the ministers and reflects his "supportive approach" towards governments. In this note, published on the official website of the Office for the Publication of Ayatollah Khamenei's Works, it was stated that the claim that each member of the cabinet is chosen with the leader's opinion is rejected, and reports regarding this were described as "recent rumors and insinuations." Now, the Office of the Deputy of the Presidential Institution has officially requested all media and news activists to "refrain from speculation" about the new cabinet composition, "understanding the current conditions." The Deputy's Office did not clearly explain what they meant by "current conditions." This statement also refers to the "suspicion of organizing" the dissemination of "unattributed and unsubstantiated news" and mentions that such news has increased on social media in recent days. The statement continues that Hassan Rouhani aims to form a cabinet that aligns with the declared goals and reflects the will of the people, which can fulfill the "high objectives of the government and the system." Hassan Rouhani's inauguration ceremony will be held on August 14, one week from now. Mr. Rouhani was re-elected to the presidency with over 23 million votes in the presidential election.