[New York Times] Nazili Fathi and Michael Slackman - Just one month after the UN Security Council imposed sanctions on Iran to curb its nuclear program, two hard-line newspapers, including one owned by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called on Iran president Ahmadinejad to end his involvement in Iran's nuclear program. In the hazy world of Iranian politics, such a public rebuke was seen as a sign that the supreme leader - who has final say on all matters of state - might no longer support the president as the public face of defiance to the West. It was unclear, however, whether this was merely an effort to improve Iran's public image by lowering Ahmadinejad's profile or was signaling a change in policy.
2007-01-19 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive