Following the registration of former Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, a prominent conservative, for the presidential elections scheduled for June 28, 2024, a verbal warfare erupted between him and Saeed Jalili, the former chief negotiator on Iran's nuclear file.
The war began with a tweet from Larijani, using the hashtag "#RiseUp." He referenced a Quranic verse and stated that to grow and develop the country, discussions should be focused on real solutions rather than destructive debates. Some interpreted this as a subtle jab at a helicopter incident that had killed late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and others in East Azerbaijan, where the helicopter crashed in rugged terrain.
Current Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf responded with a counter-hashtag encouraging transcendence above pettiness and mockery.
In response to the interpretations of his tweet, Larijani indirectly honored the victims of the helicopter crash, calling for addressing people’s issues and serving the public. He mentioned a question he posed to ChatGPT, suggesting that the AI provided relatively complete answers regarding anti-corruption measures during his presidency of parliament.
Jalili, however, launched a fierce attack on Larijani without naming him, stating on X that while some may find friendly remarks and mockery charming, they do not benefit the people. He also criticized past parliamentary officials for failing to enact effective anti-corruption laws.
Larijani did not let this pass quietly and shared Jalili’s tweet along with ChatGPT’s answers to his query about combating corruption during his tenure, expressing hope that it would be beneficial for Jalili.
Notably, Jalili, who was the first to register for the elections, served as Khamenei’s office director two decades ago and is known as a hardliner in Iranian politics. The Iranian election committee announced that 17 candidates have officially registered for the upcoming presidential elections, with a total of 80 individuals having applied over the past few days.
