Iran's Ahmadinejad Attacks Judiciary, Criticizes Rouhani

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. (Reuters)
Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. (Reuters)
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Iran's Ahmadinejad Attacks Judiciary, Criticizes Rouhani

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. (Reuters)
Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. (Reuters)

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad renewed on Monday his criticism of senior officials, attacking the policies of current President Hassan Rouhani over the recently unveiled state budget, while also demanding the restructuring of the judiciary.

He said before a student gathering that the budget had deprived some 40 million Iranians from government-approved aid.

During his failed presidential bid earlier this year, he had vowed to double this aid and defended on Monday his decision in 2014 to raise the funds by 120 percent.

He also accused the government and parliament of raising prices in the country and abandoning their commitment to provide financial aid to the people.

Rouhani had presented the new state budget two weeks ago. Parliament has six weeks to deliberate on it before putting it to a final vote.

Ahmadinejad also did not spare the judiciary from his criticism, demanding two weeks ago the resignation of head of the judicial Sadiq Larijani.

The former president said that the judiciary suffer from a disciplinary problem, as well as issues related to its structure.

He singled out the politicization of the judiciary and its exploitation to achieve political gains. He gave the example of making accusations and releasing them in the media before even a suspect is convicted of a crime.

Ahmadinejad criticized arbitrary arrests, the spread of rumors, detention without trial, intimidation of judges, violation of the judiciary’s impartiality, pressure exerted on lawyers and their prevention of representing defendants as some of several other problems plaguing Iran’s judiciary.

He then offered a number of proposals to restructure the judiciary.



Trump Says He Is in No Rush to Talk with Iran

US President Donald Trump (C), flanked by US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum (L) and US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, speaks to reporters after stepping off Air Force One upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on July 15, 2025. (AFP)
US President Donald Trump (C), flanked by US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum (L) and US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, speaks to reporters after stepping off Air Force One upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on July 15, 2025. (AFP)
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Trump Says He Is in No Rush to Talk with Iran

US President Donald Trump (C), flanked by US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum (L) and US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, speaks to reporters after stepping off Air Force One upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on July 15, 2025. (AFP)
US President Donald Trump (C), flanked by US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum (L) and US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, speaks to reporters after stepping off Air Force One upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on July 15, 2025. (AFP)

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Tehran was hoping to engage in discussions with the United States, but he is in no rush to talk with Iran.

"They would like to talk. I'm in no rush to talk because we obliterated their site," Trump told reporters after his arrival in Washington after a trip to Pittsburgh, referring to US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites last month.