Iranian leaders may remove Supreme Religious Leader

PanARMENIAN.Net - Iranian leadership considers possibility of replacing the country's Supreme Religious Leader Ali Khamenei, NEWSru Israel quotes Al-Arabiya TV channel as saying. A key figure in such situation is former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani who is considered a politician with moderate views. Rafsanjani simultaneously heads two influential bodies, Expediency Discernment Council, an intermediary body between Parliament and Guardian Council, and Assembly of Experts. The latter is authorized to replace the country's Supreme Religious Leader.



Al-Arabiya TV Channel's Web site quotes a highly reputable source (one of the sacred towns of Shias) as saying that Rafsanjani, the Expert Assembly and Guardians Council have agreed on removing Khamenei from power. In the meantime, they have no intention to appoint a successor, at least for the time being. Instead, it is planned to establish a joint supreme government.



Rafsanjani probably enlisted the support of Ayatollah Al-Sistani, one of the most influential Shiah leaders. Khamenei's removal will be inevitably followed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's resignation.



Rafsanjani has not made public statement after elections in which Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared as official winner. In a conflict with the country's President a day before elections, Rafsanjani accused him of corruption and demanded Khamenei's intervention, but the latter was restricted by Ahmadinejad's languid criticism. Faeze Rafsanjani, the elder daughter of Expert Assembly's Head, participates in demonstrations held by Mir Hossein's co-thinkers. One Saturday, she and four other relatives of Rafsanjanis were arrested during one of demonstrations in Tehran. Yesterday evening, they were released.