TEHRAN: Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Saturday he does not view recent US missile strikes on ally Syria as a message for Iran, which he called a “powerful country” that the US cannot harm.
The controversial former president made the remarks to The Associated Press on Saturday in his office in northern Tehran, three days after he stunned Iranians by registering to run for president again.
His surprise candidacy must still be approved by authorities but has already upended a race that was widely expected to be won by incumbent moderate Hassan Rouhani.
Ahmadinejad dismissed suggestions that the US strike on Syria might also be a warning for his country.
“I do not think it has a message for Iran. Iran is a powerful country and people like Mr. Trump or the United States administration cannot hurt Iran,” he said.
US President Donald Trump’s administration earlier this year announced it was putting Iran “on notice” in part over its ballistic missile tests, and last week pounded a Syrian air base with cruise missiles in response to a chemical weapons attack.
Iran is the main regional backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and is involved militarily on the ground in that country’s civil war.
Ahmadinejad struck a mostly conciliatory tone during the interview, taking care to not stir up controversy that could alienate voters or clerical authorities.
He avoided repeating inflammatory statements that made him infamous in the West, such as those predicting Israel’s demise or questioning the scale of the Holocaust. He dodged questions about issues such as Iran’s missile program and the possible reaction by the US and Israel to another Ahmadinejad presidency.
Like all candidates, the 60-year-old must be vetted and approved by a powerful constitutional watchdog known as the Guardian Council before he can ultimately run. It will announce its list of approved candidates by April 27. The council, which is made up of clerics and Islamic jurists, normally disqualifies dissidents, women, and many reformists.
Ahmadinejad said the strike on Syria could have happened even if Hillary Clinton had won the US election. He added that the decision to attack Syria was made by people behind the scenes in the US, strongly implying that the US presidency is decided behind closed doors.
“Those who are the directors must give the role (of president) to a person who can pull it off best. A woman cannot put up a good war face,” he said. “A man can do that better. They need to come up with a figure and say he is very dangerous.”
Ahmadinejad also dismissed the Trump administration’s aggressive talk toward Tehran as political posturing, suggesting that a businessman with such varied international interests would rather avoid war.
“If he were dangerous, he would not have $70 billion of assets. However he has no choice but to play such a role,” he said.
It was unclear how he arrived at that dollar figure.
Ahmadinejad also voiced reluctant support for Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with the US and other world powers, which saw Iran accept curbs on its nuclear program in exchange for relief from crippling international sanctions.
Iran has managed to sign a string of multibillion-dollar civilian aircraft deals since sanctions were lifted, but many ordinary Iranians are still waiting on hoped-for economic benefits of the nuclear agreement to trickle down.
“The nuclear deal is a legal document and a pact. In the Islamic Republic, the officials and the supreme leader have approved of it and declared their commitment to it,” he said.
“The problem about the nuclear deal is how they advertised it. Both parties have represented it in such a way as if it can solve all the issues of human history. It was incorrect. It later turned out to be untrue,” he continued.
Ahmadinejad’s candidacy has left many inside Iran scratching their heads.
He registered to run on the same day as did his former Vice President Hamid Baghaei, saying at the time his decision was meant to support his political ally. The move has fueled speculation that Ahmadinejad registered knowing that the Guardian Council would be reluctant to risk angering his conservative base by disqualifying both him and Baghaei.
His candidacy runs in opposition to a recommendation Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that he not run because it would create a “polarized situation” that would be “harmful for the county.”
Ahmadinejad had ruled out running in the wake of Khamenei’s comments in September, but after reversing course this week he called the supreme leader’s comments “just advice” that does not prevent him from running.
AP Interview: Iran’s Ahmadinejad sees no threat from US
AP Interview: Iran’s Ahmadinejad sees no threat from US
Lebanese show strong trust in military, little confidence in parliament, poll finds
- Public security institutions viewed favorably as survey reveals low faith in state authorities
BEIRUT: Lebanese place strong trust in their military and security forces, a recent opinion poll conducted by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, as part of the ninth Arab Index, has found.
However, the survey, which included Lebanon and 14 other Arab countries, found that confidence in the state’s judicial, executive and legislative authorities remains low, peaking at just 41 percent.
Parliament emerged as the least trusted institution, garnering only 36 percent of respondents’ support.
Nasser Yassin, the center’s director, told Arab News that the survey is the largest in the Arab region by sample size, participating countries and range of topics.
Conducted from 2011 to last year, it enables analysis of shifts in Arab public opinion across 15 countries, including Lebanon.
At a press conference in Beirut, Mohammed Al-Masri, the center’s executive director and coordinator of the Arab Index program, presented Lebanon-specific survey results to academics and researchers.
The survey included 2,400 participants, he said.
Lebanese participants identified Israel as the primary threat to Lebanon’s security (56 percent), followed by the US (20 percent) and Iran (17 percent).
Regarding Lebanese citizens’ engagement in civil organizations and political parties, the survey found that “Lebanese involvement in these organizations is low, not exceeding 2 percent.”
Only 10 percent of participants reported political party membership.
Additionally, 62 percent do not trust political parties, while 36 percent do.
Fifty-one percent of Lebanese citizens plan to take part in the forthcoming parliamentary elections, tentatively scheduled for May, while 40 percent do not intend to take part.
The Arab Index asked about perceptions of the Lebanese army after the last Israeli war in Lebanon.
Fifty-six percent reported a more positive view, while 40 percent said their opinion remained unchanged.
Sixty-six percent of Lebanese respondents said their view of Hezbollah had not changed, while 13 percent viewed it more positively and 19 percent more negatively.
A majority of Lebanese considered the war a defeat (59 percent), while 38 percent viewed it as a victory.
Eighty-nine percent of respondents opposed Lebanon recognizing Israel, while 9 percent supported it.
Half of those in favor conditioned recognition on the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
Most opponents cited Israel’s colonial, racist and expansionist policies, with few referencing cultural or religious reasons.
Ninety-one percent of Lebanese viewed US policy on Palestine unfavorably.
Additionally, 58 percent perceived Iranian policies, and 40 percent perceived Russian policies, as threats to regional security and stability.
Thirty-six percent cited media outlets as their main source of information about the US, while 21 percent relied on the internet, particularly social media.
The index shows that public opinion has become more negative over the past decade. More than 70 percent of Lebanese believe the US seeks to impose its policies globally, control Arab countries, exacerbate divisions and favor non-democratic governments.
Fifty-six percent of respondents disagreed that the US protects human rights.
Thirty-seven percent said that changes in US policy toward Palestine, such as protecting Palestinians and ending support to Israel, would improve their perception of the US.
Fifty-eight percent of Lebanese citizens believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, while 39 percent disagree.
Most who believe Lebanon is on the wrong track attribute this to economic issues, political turmoil and the political system’s failure to meet its responsibilities.
They also cite “poor governance, flawed public policies and the lack of stability in general.”
Ninety-seven percent of those who believe Lebanon is on the right track attribute this to “the end of war, the election of a new president and the formation of a new government.”
Only 14 percent of respondents rated Lebanon’s security as “good” or “very good,” while 85 percent rated it as “bad” or “very bad.” Additionally, 86 percent rated the economic situation as “bad” or “very bad.”
Eighty-five percent of respondents provided a meaningful definition of “democracy,” which the Arab Opinion Index said is notably high.
However, only 51 percent support a political system in which the military holds power.
The percentage of respondents who support a political party’s accession to power through elections, even if they disagree with its principles, dropped from 50 percent before 2018 to 38 percent afterward.
The survey also revealed “near-unanimous agreement among Lebanese citizens that financial and administrative corruption is widespread,” adding that “this figure has not changed significantly since the survey began in 2011.”
Sixty-seven percent of respondents expressed some interest in political affairs.
Forty-four percent now rely on the internet for political news, the highest level since 2011 and a more than tenfold increase. Reliance on television has declined over the same period.
