The intensity of media campaigns in Iran has escalated as the date of the presidential elections approaches, with candidates employing various methods to gain an edge over their rivals. This competition has taken a further turn, reaching the point of using the late Iraqi president Saddam Hussein as additional material in election propaganda.
The fiercest candidate in the Iranian presidential election, Mostafa Pour Mohammadi, one of five hardline fundamentalist candidates, alongside one reformist candidate, posted an old picture of himself with Saddam Hussein, captioned with a call for "the rights of the Iranian nation against Saddam." It is unclear whether he intends to include financial compensation, akin to what Kuwait received from Iraq, in his electoral program, especially since this opinion is widely discussed in Iranian circles and media. Pour Mohammadi did not limit himself to sharing this image, which does not reflect "affection" given his portrayal with Saddam; rather, it conveys his role in advocating for the rights of Iranians against Saddam, emphasizing that his meeting with Saddam at the time was in his capacity as a representative of Iran to secure the release of war prisoners.
In contrast, Pour Mohammadi also shared another image targeting former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who is seen shaking hands with Saddam Hussein, perhaps to highlight the difference between himself and Zarif, or generally between fundamentalists and reformists.
