Iran’s president backs down on political challenge

Ahmadinejad's decision to back down and attend is likely an attempt to avoid backlash from Khamenei.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attended a Cabinet meeting on Sunday after more than a week’s absence that raised tension with the country’s supreme leader,state TV reported.

The recent confrontation between Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei involved the president’s dismissal last month of the country’s most powerful intelligence chief,Heidar Moslehi.

Khamenei quickly reinstated Moslehi in a slap to Ahmadinejad. In apparent protest,the president skipped two Cabinet meetings the past week.

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Ahmadinejad’s decision to back down and attend is likely an attempt to avoid backlash from Khamenei,who has been a strong supporter of the president. That relationship could be fraying by Ahmadinejad’s repeated attempts to push the limits of his powers.

Last week,Khamenei made a rare public rebuke to Ahmadinejad,saying he will not hesitate to intervene in government affairs whenever necessary.

A serious fall from Khamenei’s favor would leave Ahmadinejad’s clout seriously diminished and test the loyalty of his main supporters,including the Revolutionary Guard that will have a central role in picking the candidates for his successor in 2013.

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