Ship Evacuated and Ablaze After Attack by Iran-Backed Houthis

"Elections are very important, strive to increase participation, and choose wisely based on who has the capability to work according to the criteria of the revolution," Khamenei stated during a Saturday meeting with a group of so-called young elites.

Despite Khamenei's push for greater electoral engagement, the pervasive atmosphere is one of disillusionment. The Guardian Council, appointed by Khamenei, has extensively disqualified numerous candidates, leaving a narrow field overwhelmingly composed of his staunch supporters. Out of six candidates running, five are ardent followers of Khamenei, while the sole candidate with moderate leanings has also demonstrated loyalty to him on national television.

Voter participation in tightly controlled elections has gradually fallen since 2020, when Khamenei's hardline supporters began disqualifying hundreds of other regime loyalists from parliamentary and presidential elections.

The restrictions, coupled with economic struggles and crackdowns on protestors, have deepened public skepticism about the elections. Many Iranians view the process as heavily orchestrated, offering little in terms of political choice or the prospect of meaningful change. The political landscape within the Islamic Republic remains controlled, and with such a list of candidates, few voters see the upcoming elections as a true opportunity to influence the country’s direction.

Ahmadinejad, who defied the West during his presidency (2005-2013) now argues for a foreign policy perspective that aims to surpass the binary division between East and West, in contrast to Khamenei's notable "Looking East" strategy.

"What exactly does the policy of East versus West entail? It appears to be a construct of our imagination," he said in a recent interview. "The most significant economic relationship exists between China and the US."

"What impediment exists for US investment in Iran's oil industry?" Ahmadinejad asked while stating that he would even negotiate with ex-US president Donald Trump.

During the interview, the contentious politician pondered, "For how much longer do we desire to remain in conflict with the US?" He lamented, "Following the revolution, there was potential to resolve matters with the US, but certain individuals occupied the embassy, complicating matters."

The Iran hostage crisis, spanning from 1979 to 1981, involved militants seizing 66 American citizens at the US embassy in Tehran, keeping 52 of them hostage for 444 days. Occurring amidst the tumultuous aftermath of Iran's Islamic revolution and the fall of the Pahlavi monarchy, the crisis profoundly soured US-Iranian relations for years to come.

The interview with Khabarfoori, a website in Iran, was released on Tuesday following Ahmadinejad's disqualification by the unelected 12-member Guardian Council for the forthcoming snap presidential election. However, according to Khabarfoori, the interview was recorded when the former president was still unaware of the Guardian’s decision.

Ahmadinejad was also barred from running in the 2017 and 2021 presidential elections by the Guardian Council controlled mainly by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. After his first disqualification, the former foreign policy hardliner, began criticizing the political machine set up by Ali Khamenei, at one point even attacking the Supreme Leader himself.

In a different segment of the interview, Ahmadinejad paid tribute to the era of the Pahlavi monarchy. “They [The Pahlavi monarchy] contributed to the country even before the [Islamic] revolution took place,” he said. “While we may have reservations about certain methods they employed, they also aimed to address inflation and improve welfare during that period.”

Ahmadinejad's remarks are contextualized by the fact that the last Shah of Iran, deposed during the 1979 revolution, is consistently depicted in a negative light by the current ruling clerical establishment.

Walking a delicate line over the past two years, he mostly remained silent to avoid backlash from loyalists allied with the Supreme Leader.

Known for his outspokenness on regime corruption and clandestine activities, Ahmadinejad notably admitted that Israel's Mossad had successfully pilfered significant documents concerning Iran's nuclear pursuits from within the nation.

Furthermore, in 2021, he alleged that the highest-ranking Iranian intelligence official tasked with thwarting Israeli espionage within Iran was actually an operative for Israel.

Khamenei’s message also emphasized the need for the dissociation to become a worldwide movement among Muslims.

"This disavowal must be evident in the words and actions of nations and governments, and it should restrict the maneuverability of the executioners and their supporters," he declared.

His comments during the Hajj echo his historical pattern of using the pilgrimage as a platform for political statements, particularly against Israel and the US, and indirectly targeting Saudi Arabia—despite recent diplomatic efforts to ease tensions with Riyadh.

Khamenei obviously hoped that Riyadh would abandon plans to establish ties with Jerusalem after the Gaza war, but this may not be the case due to mediation by the United States.

Last month, Ali Khamenei revisited a phrase introduced by his predecessor Ruhollah Khomeini, "Distancing from the infidels." The concept had previously escalated tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, contributing to the deaths and injuries of many pilgrims during the 1987 Hajj in Mecca, amid disturbances instigated by Iranian government agents.

The Supreme Leader's politicization of the Hajj contrasts sharply with his calls for Muslim unity. Such contradictions have deepened divisions within the Muslim world, notably during a time when discussions about establishing diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel are underway. His comments have not only exacerbated regional tensions but have also disillusioned many Iranians who view the Hajj as a purely religious obligation, rather than an opportunity for political expression.

Kazem Gharibabadi, head of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights, stated on social media platform X that "Hamid Nouri, who has been in illegal detention in Sweden since 2019, is free and will return to the country in a few hours."

Nouri was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Swedish court in 2022 for crimes against humanity linked to his involvement in the mass executions of prisoners during the 1980s in Iran. He was arrested when he visited Sweden according to the principle of universal justice.

In a reciprocal move, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson confirmed the release of two Swedish citizens, Johan Floderus and Saeed Azizi, who had been detained in Iran under unclear circumstances.

The Swedish Prime Minister noted, "Today, they will land on Swedish soil and be reunited with their families and loved ones. Welcome home!" He emphasized that the Swedish government had "worked intensively" to secure their freedom.

Saeid Azizi’s lawyer, Reza Shafakhah, revealed that the prisoner exchange deal was conducted without his or the Azizi family's prior knowledge. "This exchange was done without my knowledge as a lawyer and without the client's family's knowledge,” Shafakhah stated on X on Saturday. Shafakhah further disclosed that Azizi was released from prison last night and subsequently flew to Sweden.

The Iranian clerical rulers decided to summarily execute about 5,000 political prisoners in 1988 and prosecutors proved that Nouri was involved in the mass crime as a prison Guard.

The prisoner exchange can become controversial due to the nature of Nouri's convictions, and Iran's practice of arresting foreigners to use them as de facto hostages. Critics argue that such swaps might undermine international legal standards by effectively rewarding countries that detain foreigners on dubious grounds. The return of Nouri, in particular, raises ethical questions about the implications of negotiating with governments accused of severe human rights violations.

The United States last year released around $6 billion in Iran's frozen funds to secure the release of five dual nationals arrested on trumped-up charges and held in Iran. That arrangement raised strong public criticism about rewarding hostage taking.

In recent years, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards have detained numerous dual nationals and foreigners, predominantly on accusations of espionage and security threats. Human rights organizations have criticized Iran for these arrests, suggesting they are strategically used to leverage concessions from other nations.

Iran is scheduled to hold a snap presidential election on June 28 following the sudden death of President Ebrahim Raisi and his companions in a helicopter crash last month.

According to Goudarzi, the border guards engaged in an “intense armed confrontation”, injuring “several terrorists and preventing their entry into the country.”

“A significant cache of weapons and explosives, including C4, gunpowder fuses, electronic detonators, an M16 rifle scope, Kalashnikov and pistol ammunition, US-made hand grenades... and a walkie-talkie were confiscated,” he alleged.

Jaish al-Adl, designated a terrorist organization by Iran and included in the United States' list of foreign terrorist organizations since 2010, is often accused by Iranian officials of being behind similar attacks.

Critics argue that the Islamic Republic leverages such incidents to justify oppressive measures against its citizens, with many Iranians skeptical of the government's claims about its military and intelligence prowess. Iranian security officials often claim foiling terror plots but they rarely produce evidence to hold trials.

In a separate incident on Saturday, Hamed Torkashvand, the head of a Sharia punishment office in Paveh, western Iran, was killed on Saturday. The motive behind Torkashvand's killing remains unclear.

Mehdi Ghannadi, the Public Relations Manager of the Kermanshah Prosecutor's Office disclosed, "Investigations have shown that the assailant had been lying in ambush outside the victim's residence for several hours before the attack."

He added that the perpetrator fired four shots at the Torkashvand's head and chest.