Nader Irani

Ali Akbar Moeinfar, who served as oil minister under Mehdi Bazargan [provisional prime minister after the 1979 revolution], regards the Iranian government’s nuclear project as more a ploy to control the country’s domestic environment than to achieve nuclear technology. This political activist believes that it is unrealistic to hope for election conditions in Iran to improve so long as “the Constitution places all responsibility in the hands of one person, namely the supreme leader.” Read on for the details.

Rooz (R): What is your analysis of the current status of Iran’s nuclear case?
Ali Akbar Moeinfar (AAM): I personally don’t think that, as a matter of principle, nuclear technology is as important for the Iranian government as it pretends. This project is more an excuse to suppress domestic discontent with pressure, oppression and force, or however else possible. In any case, much is said about how serious the nuclear project is. For example, does the amount of uranium available for extraction in Iran suffice for producing a considerable amount of nuclear energy? If not, how will we prepare the uranium given the current global environment? And questions of this sort…

R: So why does the Iranian government insist on continuing to enrich uranium, in your opinion?
AAM: So long as the Constitution places all responsibility in the hands of one person, namely the supreme leader, I don’t think it possible to get out of the present situation. I don’t think Iran’s problem is Ahmadinejad or people like him, because such people do not have a decisive position in Iran’s power structure, and are there only as performers. The country is in the process of becoming militarized – it has been to a large extent – and the ideology for this militarization is the supreme leader. Therefore, so long as this system governs the country, the situation will not be any better regardless of who is the president.

R: Do you think that reformers will be allowed to introduce candidates in the upcoming presidential election? For example, for Mr. Khatami or Mr. Karoubi to enter the race?
AAM: I think it’s unlikely for Mr. Khatami to enter the race. Mr. Karoubi has better relations with the supreme leader, and will use this to enter the race. As you know, in his interview with E’temad daily’s special issue he declared that he will participate in the upcoming presidential race, whether or not Mr. Khatami does.

R: Is it possible for conditions to improve a bit as a result of the conflict between Qalibaf’s and Ahmadinejad’s factions?
AAM: I don’t expect free elections to be held and don’t believe they will be held in the near future at all. People like Ahmadinejad will be the winners in the next presidential run. Those who run the country are so fond of power that they will in no way tolerate the repercussions of such (free or semi free) elections.

R: Which of these two factions does the power structure prefer in the upcoming presidential election?
AAM: One of Mr. Khamenei’s qualities is that he does not voice his opinion until the last minute and when the time comes he joins the stronger current. I can’t say which will be the strongest current at this time.