Q&A
Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour, Robin Wright
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Source: Getty
In The Media
A Growing Controversy in Tehran
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s efforts to consolidate power by firing members of the cabinet and naming himself oil minister have ignited a controversy over his ambitions for more power and influence in the Iranian political system.
Published on Jun 2, 2011
Source: BBC
Ahmadinejad’s utility for Khamenei has become increasingly suspect, Sadjadpour argued. In 2005, “the Supreme Leader used Ahmadinejad as a bludgeon against his opponents,” he noted, “but since those opponents have largely been defeated, Khamenei no longer sees the need to indulge Ahmadinejad.” However, it is unlikely that Khamenei will remove Ahmadinejad from office because he is such an unpredictable figure that could do something to damage the entire system. Moving forward, it is likely that Khamenei will work to quarantine and weaken Ahmadinejad, while allowing him to remain in office.
About the Author
Karim Sadjadpour
Senior Fellow, Middle East Program
Karim Sadjadpour is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on Iran and U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East.
- What’s Keeping the Iranian Regime in Power—for Now
- How Washington and Tehran Are Assessing Their Next StepsQ&A
Aaron David Miller, David Petraeus, Karim Sadjadpour
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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