Iran’s hardliners have recently made comments against former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, seemingly aiming to tarnish his image.
While Ahmadinejad faced considerable criticism for his populist policies during his presidency from 2005 to 2013, he stands out as one of the few politicians in the Islamic Republic who maintained popularity with a segment of the population during his provincial visits after leaving office.
Abdolreza Davari, one of Ahmadinejad’s top aides during his presidency, recently said that “Ahmadinejad is under the illusion that the Islamic Republic is going to collapse.” Davari claimed that Ahmadinejad’s apparent differences with the regime stem from the fact that he has been ostracized. He added that “After Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei cautioned him not to run for the 2017 Presidential elections, Ahmadinejad realized that he can no longer return to power.”
At the…
