Iranian Power Politics

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In The Media

Iranian Power Politics

Over the course of the past year, tensions between Iranian President Ahmadinejad and Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have increased.

Published on Sep 16, 2011

Source: Brian Lehrer Show

Over the course of the past year, Iranian President Ahmadinejad has increasingly fallen out of favor with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Speaking on the Brian Lehrer Show, Carnegie's Karim Sadjadpour asserted that this distance between the two men was “bound to happen.” Khamenei was essentially using Ahmadinejad as a bludgeon against his domestic opponents, Sadjadpour explained. However, Khamenei is stronger now than he has ever been and this has made Ahmadinejad dispensable. Ahmadinejad’s inability to have the two jailed American hikers released “evidences how much he has been emasculated within the Iranian domestic political context," Sadjadpour argued. He predicted that tensions between Ahmadinejad and his allies and Khamenei seem likely to continue, since Ahmadinejad seems unwilling to continue being simply Khamenei’s lieutenant.

Political Reform Middle East Iran

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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