Rafsanjani's Concerns About Unemployment Crisis and Government Faction Disputes

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, head of the Expediency Discernment Council, in an interview with the Aftab news website, published in two parts, discusses the historical issues in Iran-U.S. relations since Mohammad Mossadegh, stating: "The distrust accumulated over these long years requires that they (the Americans) show some flexibility and make concessions for Iranian officials to trust them. However, the Americans have not done this so far." Rafsanjani mentions that President Rouhani's meeting with Barack Obama can only occur with the permission of Ayatollah Khamenei, who is opposed to it. In response to a question about the house arrest of Green Movement leaders, Rafsanjani says that one should not expect the government to take action regarding the house arrest, as the government cannot do anything. He expresses concern about the unemployment crisis in Iran and the disputes among government factions, stating that the solution to the economic crisis lies in creating jobs, reopening closed factories, and transferring unfinished projects to the private sector. Maziar Mahdavi Azad, a journalist and analyst on Iranian issues in Germany, tells Radio Farda that Rafsanjani's statements indicate a new approach from Hassan Rouhani and Rafsanjani towards the Supreme Leader and highlight the limits of government powers. Rafsanjani points out that Iran's hands are tied in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Yemen, which cannot be easily resolved but must be handled wisely. He believes that de-escalation in Iran-Saudi relations is possible and emphasizes the need for dialogue with Saudi Arabia. Ali Sadrzadeh, a Middle East analyst residing in Germany, tells Radio Farda that Rafsanjani is essentially indicating the deadlock of the Islamic Republic's policies in the region. Rafsanjani expresses optimism about the upcoming presidential elections, stating that a good election will be held naturally and normally, with enthusiastic public participation and competition, but unforeseen events cannot be predicted.