Controversial ultra-hardliner claims Khamenei endorsed his path

A controversial politician popular with ultra-hardliner youth has sparked social media controversy by claiming Iran’s Leader wants him to continue in his path “with determination”.

Ali-Akbar Raefipour, a prolific speaker and social media activist, claimed in a speech on Thursday that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had responded to a "fifteen-page letter" he sent a month ago. Raefipour’s critics quickly took to social media, accusing him of fabricating Khamenei’s support and demanding that he publish both the letter and the alleged response. They argue that Khamenei rarely responds personally to politicians, especially outside of state matters, making Raefipour’s claim implausible.

In his speech, Raefipour said he had asked Khamenei if he was displeased with him, as his critics suggested, and offered to cease his political activities if the Leader disapproved. According to Raefipour, Khamenei denied the accusation, urging him to continue his work "with determination."

In response to a journalist who accused Raefipour of falsely claiming Khamenei responded to his letter, one of his supporters argued in a tweet Friday that he would not have made such a claim at this time if he wanted to hide behind the Leader. Instead he would have sought Khamenei's support when he was accused of laundering money through his so-called ‘cultural institute’ by Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf’s supporters.

Raefipour is best known for his allegiance to the ultra-hardliner former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili whom he and his young ‘revolutionary’ followers supported in the presidential elections against other conservative candidates and Masoud Pezeshkian.

The views expressed by Raefipour, his supporters, and allies including the Paydari (Steadfastness) Party often mirror the apocalyptic religious and anti-Western political views of the controversial cleric Mohammad-Mahdi Mirbagheri that are sometimes even more extreme than Khamenei’s.

Raefipour established Jebhe-ye Sobh-e Iran (Iran Morning Front) shortly before the March parliamentary elections. His political party, which is often referred to as MASAF, formed an alliance with the Paydari and other ultra-hardliners against Ghalibaf, and the two sides fought a fierce battle on social media during the campaign.

In the snap presidential elections which followed the suspicious death of Ebrahim Raisi in an air crash in May, Raefipour and his followers focused their attacks on Ghalibaf again. The Speaker’s supporters retaliated with corruption and money laundering allegations against him and demanded that his party be banned.

Iran's ultra-hardliners were seen as the main losers when the establishment allowed Pezeshkian to run for president and win the election. Their leader Jalili has been silent after his loss, although observers expect the radicals to become active again if Pezeshkian's position weakens due to numerous intractable economic and other challenges.

Raefipour’s fall from favor was signaled by brigadier general Ebrahim Jabbari, a former commander of Khamenei’s security team, who strongly criticized Raefipour a few months ago for attacking top state officials including former President Ebrahim Raisi, Ghalibaf, and Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei and implied that Khamenei was unhappy with Raefipour’s conduct.

Jabbari also accused him of refusing to publicly condemn the former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who fell from Khamenei’s favor over a decade ago. A leaked audio file of his talk against Raefipour was widely posted on various social media platform.