Tehran, Dec. 6 -- Iran's long-suppressed debate over who will succeed its 86-year-old Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has erupted into public view, sharpening into direct intimidation of former president Hassan Rouhani, marking an escalation in Tehran's ongoing political nexus.
Rouhani is seen as a rare establishment figure who is widely considered suitable for taking over the Islamic Republic's leadership.
The shift follows Rouhani's recent call -- issued after the country's 12-day war with Israel (and later the US) -- urging transparency and ease of control in Iranian politics, particularly concerning foreign policy.
His remarks were widely read as an implicit critique of Khamenei's leadership and prompted an immediate backlash...