According to the state-run news agency Fars on Friday, Ahmad Khatami said during the regime’s Friday prayers, “The regime’s legitimacy rests on the Supreme Leader. Therefore, the three branches of government gain their legitimacy from the signature of the Supreme Leader. Otherwise, none of the branches would have credibility or legitimacy.”
Implicitly addressing Ahmadinejad, he said, “Support for government officials is not absolute but contingent. They will only be supported as long as they obey the leader.”
He acknowledged growing fissures in the regime, saying the “enemy” wants to create divisions. He called on the regime’s officials to refrain from creating more fissures.