Iranian Leader Asserts Power Over President
By WILLIAM YONG
Published: April 23, 2011
TEHRAN — Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Saturday that he remained ready to intervene in the country’s political affairs if the nation’s interests were being “neglected,” continuing a rare public flexing of his power days after a disagreement with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad flared into the open.
In a speech to supporters in Fars Province that was broadcast live on state television, he praised Mr. Ahmadinejad’s administration. But he said that the country’s religious leadership would remain the ultimate authority. “While the leadership is alive, it will never allow deviation in the movement of the Iranian nation toward its goals,” he said.
The statement came after a week of public tension between the president and Mr. Khamenei over what was seen as an effort by Mr. Ahmadinejad to extend control over the politically sensitive Intelligence Ministry.
On Wednesday, Mr. Khamenei refused to accept the resignation of the intelligence minister, Heydar Moslehi, a hard-line cleric, proclaiming his support for Mr. Moslehi through semiofficial news agencies. IRNA, Iran’s state-run news agency, had reported the minister’s resignation last Sunday.
According to domestic news reports, Iran’s Parliament on Wednesday endorsed Mr. Moslehi as minister, effectively seconding the supreme leader’s authority.
There was speculation that Mr. Moslehi resigned after efforts were made to block his dismissal of a senior intelligence official supported by Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, Mr. Ahmadinejad’s former chief of staff. Mr. Rahim-Mashaei is known to have significant influence with the president but is unpopular among the old right.
Mr. Khamenei’s public statement asserting his authority was rare for a leader who has long projected the image of an impartial arbiter — an image he seemed to sacrifice during the 2009 presidential election, when he came out in favor of the re-election of Mr. Ahmadinejad.
Still, since the election the relationship between the two men has been strained by several attempts to test the limits of presidential power.
In a speech to supporters in Fars Province that was broadcast live on state television, he praised Mr. Ahmadinejad’s administration. But he said that the country’s religious leadership would remain the ultimate authority. “While the leadership is alive, it will never allow deviation in the movement of the Iranian nation toward its goals,” he said.
The statement came after a week of public tension between the president and Mr. Khamenei over what was seen as an effort by Mr. Ahmadinejad to extend control over the politically sensitive Intelligence Ministry.
On Wednesday, Mr. Khamenei refused to accept the resignation of the intelligence minister, Heydar Moslehi, a hard-line cleric, proclaiming his support for Mr. Moslehi through semiofficial news agencies. IRNA, Iran’s state-run news agency, had reported the minister’s resignation last Sunday.
According to domestic news reports, Iran’s Parliament on Wednesday endorsed Mr. Moslehi as minister, effectively seconding the supreme leader’s authority.
There was speculation that Mr. Moslehi resigned after efforts were made to block his dismissal of a senior intelligence official supported by Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, Mr. Ahmadinejad’s former chief of staff. Mr. Rahim-Mashaei is known to have significant influence with the president but is unpopular among the old right.
Mr. Khamenei’s public statement asserting his authority was rare for a leader who has long projected the image of an impartial arbiter — an image he seemed to sacrifice during the 2009 presidential election, when he came out in favor of the re-election of Mr. Ahmadinejad.
Still, since the election the relationship between the two men has been strained by several attempts to test the limits of presidential power.
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