Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has missed a second cabinet meeting since his dispute with the Supreme Leader over the contested resignation of the minister of intelligence.
Fars news agency reports that today’s cabinet meeting was once again held by vice-president Mohammadreza Rahimi and the intelligence minister, Heydar Moslehi was present.
In addition, Mehr News Agency reported that the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution was also convened without Ahmadinejad, who heads the council. The meeting was chaired by Ali Larijani, speaker of the parliament.
Ahmadinejad has been avoiding his official duties following the dispute over Moslehi’s resignation as Minister of Intelligence. After Ahmadinejad had accepted Moslehi’s resignation, Ayatollah Khamenei overruled the president’s decision and reinstated Moslehi as the head of intelligence ministry.
Furthermore, Qom’s representative in parliament has told Khabar-on-line that the cabinet’s planned trip to Qom — one in a series of provincial trips for the cabinet and president — has also been cancelled.
Jaras opposition website cites “knowledgeable sources” who say Ahmadinejad told some Tehran City Council members at a recent meeting that he is fed up with the current situation.
He has reportedly said that following the assassination attempts on Iranian nuclear scientists, he had intended to dismiss his ministers of defence, interior and intelligence, but he put that plan on hold in hope that the situation would improve.
According to this report, when council members urged him to return to cabinet meetings, Ahmadinejad responded: “How can you ask me for more patience? My authority in the government is basically limited to selecting and changing ministers; this has also been taken away from me.”
Some conservative members of the Islamic Republic establishment has accused Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of disobeying the orders of the Supreme Leader. However, Ayatollah Khamenei has said his differences with Ahmadinejad are minor disputes of no importance.
