A leaked message sent secretly by several ministers of the current government to the Guardian Council has sparked significant controversy, especially as it endorsed the candidacy of Minister of Culture Mohammad Mehdi Esmaeili for the presidential elections. The signatories affirmed that "Esmaeili has the necessary wisdom to manage the next government in the same manner as President Raisi, should he receive support and be chosen by the Iranian people."
Iranian websites reported that the ministers signed the message under pressure from Esmaeili himself and Mohsen Mansouri, the Vice President for Executive Affairs. This message, which a photo of it signed by several ministers circulated widely on social media, coincided with the Guardian Council reviewing applications from 80 candidates for the Iranian presidential elections scheduled for June 28, following the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last month in East Azerbaijan.
Despite the government's attempts to challenge its validity, the criticism from the official "IRNA" agency regarding its leakage confirmed its authenticity, according to the "Asharq Al-Awsat" newspaper. A responsible source clarified that "the message is a legitimate endorsement for the members of the Guardian Council to confirm the eligibility of one of the candidates for the elections; it was intended solely for submission to the members and was not meant for media publication," as reported by "IRNA."
Additionally, the source mentioned, "The responsible parties should investigate how this message was obtained and disseminated by some media figures with security and judicial records." Legal action was promised against those who published the message, referencing statements from Iranian leader Ali Khamenei emphasizing the importance of avoiding defamation during elections.
