Iranian Hard-Liners Accuse President-Elect Pezeshkian of Connections to U.S. Intelligence and “Promoting Homosexuality”
A hardliner aligned with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has sharply criticized President-elect Pezeshkian’s cabinet formation team, accusing them of corruption, espionage, and “promoting homosexuality.”
In an article published on Saturday, Hossein Shariatmadari, editor of Iran’s flagship hardliner newspaper Kayhan, funded by Khamenei’s office, criticized President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian’s Strategic Council for Transition. Shariatmadari argued that the council, responsible for identifying and recommending ministerial candidates, is made up of individuals who are incompetent and unfit for their roles. He also accused them of fraud and purported liberal leanings without providing any concrete evidence to support his claims.
The Council for Transition is a new development in Iranian politics, intended to demonstrate Pezeshkian’s commitment to his campaign promise of using varying experts to tackle important issues. Currently, there is intense competition for ministerial roles, with various factions striving to secure cabinet positions. This period is particularly significant due to concerns about Khamenei’s advancing age, potentially tumultuous times, and the likelihood that this administration may act as a transitional government if a new leader takes over. . .
[Hard-liner Shariatmadari also wrote,] “Many members of the council and its subcommittees have a history marked by collaboration with enemy intelligence services, security convictions, corruption, and defense of homosexuality. Their track records reveal disbelief in the system and the revolution, and they have openly aligned and collaborated with the US, UK, and Israel during riots and uprisings”. . .
Pezeshkian, a relative moderate, is replacing hardline President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash in May. He will be sworn in before parliament on Tuesday. (Read more from “Iranian Hard-Liners Accuse President-Elect Pezeshkian of Connections to U.S. Intelligence and “Promoting Homosexuality” HERE)
