Within 24 hours after former finance minister Davoud Danesh-Jafari slammed the ninth administration at his departure ceremony, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad responded to his former minister's criticism. Referencing parts of the minister's speech, Ahmadinejad implicitly accused people like Danesh-Jafari of "lacking the necessary courage, conviction and authority to face injustice," and of "opposing the revelation of injustice and of supporting those who have filled their pockets because of their personal relations."

In a speech on Tuesday night that was covered on the front pages of most of Tehran's newspapers and shocked Iranian analysts and the public alike, Danesh-Jafari accused Ahmadinejad of believing in the lies and exaggerations of his advisors and consequently taking outrageous and problematic positions on different issues. Danesh-Jafari also accused the administration and the president of creating crises, of ignorance of basic economic principles, and lacking a coherent program to run the country.

The only national newspaper that did not report Danesh-Jafari’s remarks on its front page was the government newspaper Iran. Prominent dailies such as E'temad Melli, E'temad, Jam-e Jam, Jomhouri Eslami, Sarmayeh, Seday-e Edalat, Ghods, Kargozaran, Mardomsalari and Hamshahri covered Danesh-Jafari's remarks on thief front-page headlines.

Ahmadinejad, who is now visiting Hamedan, also said in his newest remarks, "Some are mad that the president is sharing accounts of discrimination and problems with the people. I announce to them right now that people are aware of all the problems. People and others like me must also be aware of the problems in order to rightly serve this nation."

Media observers in Tehran dismissed Ahmadinejad's remarks as a weak and hurried response to Danesh-Jafari's unprecedented remarks, which is unlikely to go away in pres coverage - even if Ahmadinejad is willing to accuse his own former minister of standing up to justice and "opposing the revelation of injustices."