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.”



White House Withdraws Nomination for US Hostage Envoy

FILE PHOTO: Adam Boehler, US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing when he was CEO of the US International Development Finance Corporation, in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, US, April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Adam Boehler, US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing when he was CEO of the US International Development Finance Corporation, in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, US, April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo/File Photo
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White House Withdraws Nomination for US Hostage Envoy

FILE PHOTO: Adam Boehler, US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing when he was CEO of the US International Development Finance Corporation, in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, US, April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Adam Boehler, US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing when he was CEO of the US International Development Finance Corporation, in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, US, April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo/File Photo

The Trump administration has withdrawn the nomination of Adam Boehler to serve as special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, the White House said on Saturday.
Boehler, who has been working to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, will continue hostage-related work as a so-called "special government employee," a position that would not need Senate confirmation.
"Adam Boehler will continue to serve President Trump as a special government employee focused on hostage negotiations," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
"Adam played a critical role in negotiating the return of Marc Fogel from Russia. He will continue this important work to bring wrongfully detained individuals around the world home."
A White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Boehler withdrew his nomination to avoid divesting from his investment company. The move was unrelated to the controversy sparked by his discussions with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
"He still has the utmost confidence of President Trump," said the official.
"This gives me the best ability to help Americans held abroad as well as work across agencies to achieve President Trump’s objectives," Boehler told Reuters in a brief statement.
Boehler recently held direct meetings with Hamas on the release of hostages in Gaza. The discussions broke with a decades-old policy by Washington against negotiating with groups that the US brands as terrorist organizations.
The talks angered some Senate Republicans and some Israeli leaders. According to Axios, Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer expressed his displeasure to Boehler in a tense phone call last week.