Source: BBC

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. Speaking on the BBC, Carnegie’s Karim Sadjadpour explained that “Ahmadinejad has overstepped his mandate.” He said that Ahmadinejad is the first president to challenge the power and authority of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Ayatollah Khamenei has responded by using the Iranian parliament to put Ahmadinejad in his place.

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.