President's Iftar Ceremony with Reformists and Conservatives Became Controversial

While Fars News Agency reports that some conservatives left the iftar ceremony with Hassan Rouhani due to support for the leaders of the Green Movement, a reformist figure claims that no one left the meeting. On Wednesday evening, July 3, the iftar ceremony for conservative and reformist political parties and figures was hosted by President Hassan Rouhani. This simultaneous iftar ceremony for reformist and conservative political parties with the Iranian President was held for the first time, as previous meetings with Mr. Rouhani were conducted separately. In the meeting, figures such as Gholamali Haddad Adel, head of the conservative faction in the parliament, Asadollah Badamchi, a member of the Motalefeh Party, and Fatemeh Rakeei and Elaheh Koulaei, members of the Participation Front, spoke. According to reports, Gholamhossein Karbaschi, Secretary-General of the Construction Party, referred to Mir Hossein Mousavi as 'Seyyed Mazloom' and called for the lifting of the house arrest of Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, another leader of the 2009 presidential election protests. According to Fars News Agency's report on the event, some conservative political figures left the meeting in protest against Mr. Karbaschi's remarks. Gholamreza Mesbah Yazdi, a member of the Combatant Clergy Association and a representative of Tehran in the parliament, also told the news agency that he left the ceremony due to the support expressed for what he called 'the leaders of the sedition.' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, and his close associates refer to Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi as 'the leaders of the sedition.' Fars News did not mention any other individuals who allegedly left the iftar ceremony with Mr. Rouhani besides Mr. Mesbah Yazdi. On the other hand, ILNA, the Iranian Labor News Agency, quoted Mohsen Rahami, Secretary-General of the Islamic Association of University Instructors, stating that no one 'openly and noticeably' left the meeting, 'but before the meeting ended, a group left to perform ablution and returned.' According to the website Entekhab, Mohsen Kouhkan, a conservative figure, also said that some conservatives present at the ceremony were 'preparing to react' to Mr. Karbaschi's remarks, 'but due to the atmosphere of camaraderie that some tried to establish in the meeting, they remained silent.' Meanwhile, the website Kalemeh, close to Mir Hossein Mousavi, reported that conservatives present at the meeting became 'angry' when Javad Emami, a reformist figure and former political prisoner, called for the attendees to send blessings for the health of Mohammad Khatami, the former President of Iran. Based on photos published from the iftar ceremony with Mr. Rouhani, some reformist figures who were imprisoned after the 2009 elections, including Mohsen Aminzadeh, Deputy Foreign Minister in Khatami's government, and Faezollah Arab-Sorkhi, a member of the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization, were also present. According to ISNA, Hassan Rouhani also stated at this event that 'in the current conditions of the country, imposition, destruction, and scrutiny in various matters will not lead anywhere.' The President of Iran emphasized that 'the foundation of parties in political activities should not be for one to triumph over another or to eliminate one another.' He added: 'Just as monopoly in the economy is destructive and does not serve the public good, the same applies in the realm of politics, and parties should organize healthy competition based on presenting better programs.'