Iran Snap Analysis: Who is Running Foreign Policy?

On Tuesday, the Supreme Leader told industrialists and manufacturers, "The Iranian authorities and nation will undoubtedly circumvent sanctions (against the country) and render them ineffective just as they did over the past three decades and will move ahead with progress and development."

Beyond that straightforward assertion --- would you expect Ayatollah Khamenei to say Tehran is wobbling before the international pressure? --- a more intriguing and possibly more significant story was developing.

Iran Exclusive: FM Mottaki Attempted to Resign over Ahmadinejad Foreign Policy

On Monday and Tuesday, a series of politicians and officials lined up to challenge President Ahmadinejad's appointment of four envoys, including his Chief of Staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashai, for international affairs. Almost half of the members of Parliament issued a written warning. Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, who tried to resign over the incident but was dissuaded by the Supreme Leader's office, made it clear that "parallel actions" could not be tolerated, a line echoed by Ahmadinejad's primary critics on domestic issues. Even the Foreign Ministry spokesman took a swipe at the President.

So far, however, Ahmadinejad has refused to retract the appointments of the envoys. Indeed, his public display was to dash to Qatar, with his political supporters acclaiming his abilities as a statesman.

Officially, the Iranian line will be --- it has been since 1979 --- that foreign policy is unified under the undeniable authority of the Supreme Leader. But the repeated calls yesterday, almost a week after Khamenei publicly criticised the envoys' appointments, for the President to heed the words of the Supreme Leader indicate that some leading politicians and officials do not believe Ahmadinejad is accepting that official position.

And that in turn, amidst discussion of renewed talks on the uranium enrichment issue and the high-profile regional manoeuvres from Israel/Palestine to Iraq to Afghanistan, raises the question --- both for international community and for Iranians:

Who speaks for Tehran?

Comments

[Why Iran May Release U.S. Hike]

[...] struggle with Iran’s democratic constitution as well as the power of the religious leaders, including the Supreme Leader.  Faced with economic pressure, internal strife, political infighting, and the prospects of an [...]