Ahmadinejad to Hang Up His Member's Only Jacket?

Ahmadinejad row with Khamenei intensifies - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

A political dispute between Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country's supreme leader is reported to have intensified.

Ahmadinejad is said to be contemplating resigning after Heidar Moslehi, the intelligence minister he had sacked, was reinstated by Khamenei.

The president is understood to have shirked some of his duties and skipped cabinet meetings for the past ten days in anger over the decision.

Mehrdad Khonsari, an analyst with the Centre for Arab and Iranian Studies in London, told Al Jazeera on Friday that the dispute, which began last month, had become "serious".

"It shows the level of disunity at the very top of the Iranian [political] hierachy [with] Ahmadinejad having already polarised the internal political scene as a result of fraudulent election results that were announced more than 20 months ago," Khonsari said.

"He is now beginning to encroach on the powers and privileges vested in the supreme leader, and he and his constituency - mainly among the Revolutionary Guards - have tried to do this.

"And, of course, the supreme leader has tried to make a stand and in this stand he has been joined by many people from the ruling establishment who have been cast aside by Ahmadinejad."

A VERY interesting development, indeed. But before we get TOO excited... Mock-Mood hasn't been pushed out yet.

What's going on here is an epic power struggle between Ayatollah Khamenei and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his allies. Ahmadinejad allies all 25-30 of them, have been jailed for witchcraft - as a result of their intransigence in the face of clerical power. Way to go, Mr. Wizard. This situation has emerged out of Ahmadinejad's refusal to keep a pro-Ayatollah Intelligence Minister and his earlier firing of the Foreign Minister. And you thought American politics were stupid and confusing?