Another Hint That Ahmadinejad May Be On His Way Out?

The Washington Institute seems to think so. I don't know much about them, but here's hoping:

Two intriguing developments have unfolded in Iran over the past week: the election of a new Assembly of Experts Speaker on September 4 and the appointment of a new Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander in chief on September 1. Both suggest the growing power of former president Ali Akbar Rafsanjani, a powerful politician who is openly critical of President Mahmoud Ahmadinezhad and his policies.

...Iranian presidents are not particularly powerful compared to the entrenched class of political leaders. That leadership's priority has long been maintaining a hold on power. Thus, while they support revolutionary aims and hope to increase Iran's influence in the region, they are not prepared to take great risks for those goals.

Today, some Iranian leaders seem concerned that Ahmadinezhad is too confrontational. That augurs well for the current Western strategy: forcing hard choices on Tehran through various pressures while offering normalized relations if the Islamic Republic changes course. Vigorously linking Iran's gasoline problems to the nuclear situation would be a good step toward furthering this strategy.

This is certainly not the first article or peace of news to indicate that Ahmadinejad has problems in Iran. Enough has been going on during the past year to indicate that his grip on power is not secure.

Click on the label "Ahmadinejad's Woes" for more posts.

Technorati Tag: Iran and Ahmadinejad.