Iran hardliners in denial of losing presidential election

One week after Iran's presidential runoff, the election appears far from over for ultraconservative candidate Saeed Jalili and his supporters. who consider themselves as the backbone of 'revolutionary forces.'

Although he officially congratulated President-Elect Masoud Pezeshkian's victory, still he and his hardline supporters and campaign managers keep threatening Pezeshkian and other reformists that if they do not behave in the way the ultraconservatives expect, they are going to come forward and possibly unseat them.

Some of those close to Jalili this week went as far as betting that Pezeshkian cannot survive as President even until the Iranian new year in Match 2025. All this is taking place in a situation as if the hardliners have won the election.

In the meantime, as if they are taking revenge on Pezeshkian for winning the election, a large number of heavy sentences have been issued by hardliners in the Judiciary and security organizations for political prisoners particularly female inmates and women's rights activists.

Former MP Mahmoud Sadeghi has told the press in Tehran that major energy companies and other rich firms have been changing hands in a series of non-conventional transactions during recent days.

In another bid to secure positions of power within the government, ultraconservatives have reportedly been issuing numerous personnel actions to appoint like-minded individuals to key roles in government banks and companies. This is occurring despite orders from Pezeshkian and Mohammad Mokhber, the head of President Ebrahim Raisi's outgoing administration.

In another development, Jalili's allies in the outgoing government are reportedly exploiting the power shortage to increase dissatisfaction with the incoming administration. Some accuse hardliners within the water authority of deliberately releasing water reserves from dams into rivers to exacerbate electricity shortages, affecting more residential and industrial areas. This alleged manipulation comes during a summer when temperatures in at least 10 Iranian provinces have exceeded 50 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, according to centrist daily Ham Mihan, hardliners have been using tactics to give rise to the nation's expectations from the government that has not been formed yet. While the new government from the first day after the election has been facing many problems that were created by the Raisi administration, hardliners have been pretending that Raisi left a saddled horse for Pezeshkian to ride easily.

The statement clearly overlooks the severity of the economic and political problems inherited from the Raisi administration, including an unusually high budget deficit, rising inflation, unemployment, and numerous sanctions-related issues, such as obstacles to repatriating Iran's oil revenue. Many predict that a catalogue of economic challenges will soon confront the new Iranian government after it is formed in September.

Economic journalist Maryam Shokrani saysthese include a 8,700 trillion-rial ($15 billion) debt left by the Raisi administration to be paid by Pezeshkian's government.