Former Iranian president Rouhani calls for public input on ending the war
In Iran, former president Hassan Rouhani called on the authorities to allow the public to decide the issue of ending the war if a ceasefire agreement meets Tehran’s requirements. As The Jerusalem Post reports, Rouhani reportedly made these statements last weekend at a meeting of former provincial governors.
Call to end the war
Rouhani said that the authorities must first clearly define the framework of national goals and then present it to the people. He cited as an example a plan to confront the world’s major powers for another 20 years and said that society should determine whether it supports such a course.
“We must, in line with the position of the overwhelming majority of the people, end the war with honor in order to rebuild the country and compensate for the damage inflicted,” the former president said. Rouhani also criticized a small minority that, in his words, “holds megaphones and makes noise,” apparently referring to opponents of concessions aimed at ending the war.
In addition, Rouhani said that Iranian state broadcasters had turned into a “center of division.”
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Criticism from hardliners
Rouhani’s remarks drew criticism from supporters of a hardline policy. Kayhan editor-in-chief Hossein Shariatmadari called on Iran’s judicial and security bodies to investigate the former president’s actions, accusing him of calling for surrender to the United States and Israel.
Tasnim, an agency affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, accused Rouhani of deepening polarization. The agency did so after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly called for national unity. Tasnim said that the former president’s words help opponents of Iran’s system.
Some Iranian media also reported public calls to execute Rouhani during pro-regime rallies. At the same time, The Jerusalem Post noted that it had been unable to find video recordings of such demands.
Khatami’s statement
Rouhani’s comments came several weeks after another former Iranian president, Mohammad Khatami, supported the now-invalid Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed by Washington and Tehran. Khatami said that losing the opportunities created by this memorandum could cause “extraordinary problems.”
