Iran Election Secret Message Sparks Controversy

Iranian Minister of Culture Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili submits his candidacy papers for the elections (DPA)
Iranian Minister of Culture Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili submits his candidacy papers for the elections (DPA)
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Iran Election Secret Message Sparks Controversy

Iranian Minister of Culture Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili submits his candidacy papers for the elections (DPA)
Iranian Minister of Culture Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili submits his candidacy papers for the elections (DPA)

In a surprising move, some current government ministers have sent a secret message to Iran's Guardian Council, pushing for the nomination of Culture Minister Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili.

A picture of the letter, signed by several ministers, has spread widely on social media.

This development comes as the Guardian Council reviews 80 candidates for the upcoming presidential elections following the death of President Ibrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last month.

In addition to Esmaili, Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash, and Minister of Labor and Welfare Sowlat Mortazavi have also thrown their hats into the ring.

A leaked secret message from top officials expresses support for Esmaili to lead the next government in line with Raisi’s principles, pending approval by the Iranian people.

Reports suggest ministers signed under pressure from Esmaili and Vice President Mohsen Mansouri.

Despite government efforts to discredit it, the letter’s leak angered Iran’s official IRNA agency, which called for legal action against its publication.

Officials warned of legal repercussions for those spreading the letter, citing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s call to avoid defamation during elections.

They also noted recent judicial actions against those tarnishing the electoral atmosphere.

A website linked to a hardline group suggested the letter aimed to pressure the Guardian Council into considering Esmaili favorably.

The news site “Khabar Online,” linked to former Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, called the letter’s release “unexpected.”

Iranian TV aired a short statement from the head of the Guardian Council, Ahmad Jannati, denying any pressure, saying, “No one can pressure us. Such talk doesn't affect us... We’ve chosen our path and will stick to it.”



Major Search Continues after Deadly Migrant Boat Sinking Off Cyprus Coast

Handout obtained from Cypriot government’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre shows migrant boat in Mediterranen waters east of Cape Greco in southeastern Cyprus ahead of a rescue operation. (File/AFP)
Handout obtained from Cypriot government’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre shows migrant boat in Mediterranen waters east of Cape Greco in southeastern Cyprus ahead of a rescue operation. (File/AFP)
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Major Search Continues after Deadly Migrant Boat Sinking Off Cyprus Coast

Handout obtained from Cypriot government’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre shows migrant boat in Mediterranen waters east of Cape Greco in southeastern Cyprus ahead of a rescue operation. (File/AFP)
Handout obtained from Cypriot government’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre shows migrant boat in Mediterranen waters east of Cape Greco in southeastern Cyprus ahead of a rescue operation. (File/AFP)

A major rescue operation continued Tuesday off the southern coast of Cyprus after a migrant boat sank in international waters, with no additional survivors or bodies found since the initial recovery, official said.

Authorities Monday said seven bodies had been recovered and two people rescued some 45 kilometers (28 miles) south of Cyprus. Officials said the boat was believed to be carrying at least 20 Syrians, The Associated Press reported.

The island republic's Joint Rescue Coordination Center confirmed an ongoing operation involving military helicopters, rescue vessels and drones, assisted by a helicopter from a British base on Cyprus.

“As time passes and no other people are found, hope naturally and dramatically diminishes,” Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas told a press briefing late Monday.

The rescue effort is taking place amid rising irregular border crossings in the eastern Mediterranean, according to the European Union border protection agency Frontex, despite a broader decline across the bloc.

Cypriot officials said they continue to monitor increased maritime movement from Lebanon and Syria amid ongoing regional instability.

Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis said the first survivor had been spotted during a routine patrol. After that, he said, “the response was immediate, which is why we managed to save the second person very quickly.”