Iranian Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi says the government will not allow “leaders of sedition” to return to the political arena.
The Iranian establishment refers to the reformist opposition figures who challenged the results of the 2009 presidential elections as “leaders of sedition.” Their allegations of election fraud led to unprecedented mass protests all across the country, which were quelled by a severe, months-long crackdown on protesters.
Since then, the reformists have been practically ousted from the political arena in Iran, and the two men who ran against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and challenged his victory in the presidential race have been under house arrest for nearly a year and a half.
Iranian media report that the Intelligence Minister spoke at Tehran’s Friday Mass prayers, saying: “Some of the leaders and links of the sedition think that they can return to the scene by infiltrating certain groups in order to once again challenge the Revolution and the system. But we are completely aware of these movements and will confront them.”
He added that his ministry will see to it that the people are not faced with any more challenges.
“We will not allow the sedition and anti-Revolutionaries and their domestic and foreign plans to repeat the sedition of 2009,” Moslehi said.
While the Intelligence Minister did not directly refer to reformist figures and Islamic Republic forces, his statements appear to refer to recent attempts by some reformist groups to create a space for reformist participation in the presidential elections set for 2013.
Former president Mohammad Khatami, a top reformist figure, has become more vocal recently in presenting the views of his political supporters.
