“Top officials and media outlets close to Khamenei have mounted a campaign of criticism targeting Ahmadinejad, while several of his top aides have reportedly been arrested” for charges of religious deviation and sorcery, CNN said. Nevertheless, the Iranian President had a short chance in Turkey during a UN summit, to avoid his internal problems. Ivan Watson, CNN’s correspondent based in Turkey said that the split between the two leaders is unprecedented. This unusual split has found its way to various media outlets.
There were rumors indicating Ahmadinejad might resign, but he said in his website not to pay attention to such news, unless it is published by his official website. The President also swore allegiance to Khamenei. According to many observers, Ahmadinejad might be a lame duck in the remaining two years of his presidency.
Separately, the Washington Post said in an article about the crisis at the top of the regime on May 9 that the tensions remain.
“Following the supreme leader’s decision, Ahmadinejad did not go to his office for eight days. He returned to work a week ago, publicly pledging his allegiance to Khamenei and denying that a rift had developed between the two men. But when the cabinet met on Wednesday, the president and Moslehi apparently avoided being in the same room, Web sites reported, citing ‘busy schedules’ as their reason for not meeting,” the Post said.
Quoting analysts, Washington Post added: “The criticisms of Ahmadinejad go far beyond the dispute over the intelligence minister and are not over with Moslehi’s return to the cabinet.”
“Last week several people connected to [Ahmadinejad’s] adviser were arrested, among them the prayer leader of the presidential complex and a man accused of sorcery,” the Post said.