Iran's former chief nuclear negotiator delivered an unusually sharp rebuke to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's policies, saying they are turning more nations against Iran and failing to fix the struggling economy.
The comments on Wednesday by Hasan Rowhani were the harshest yet against the hardline president by a prominent figure in the Iranian leadership, and came after critics had grown muted in recent month as the government stirred up fears of conflict with the US and warned against dissent.
The criticism echoed complaints early this year from conservative supporters of Ahmadinejad that his inflammatory rhetoric was needlessly goading the West in the confrontation over Iran's nuclear program and that he had not fulfilled promises to improve the economy.
Rowhani was replaced as nuclear negotiator when Ahmadinejad came to office in 2005, but he remains a member of the Supreme National Security Council and sits on two powerful cleric-run bodies, the Experts Assembly and the Expediency Council.
Speaking to the pro-reform Moderation and Development Party, he did not directly mention Ahmadinejad, but was clearly referring to his policies. His comments were reported by the semiofficial ISNA and Mehr news agencies and confirmed by people who heard the speech.
"On the international stage, we are under threat more than any other time," Rowhani said. "The country's diplomacy will be successful if it doesn't allow the enemy to win the backing of other countries against us. Unfortunately, the number of our enemies are increasing. Up to yesterday, Britain stood by the US, but now France has joined the United States more closely."
Rowhani had spoken little in public since he was removed as nuclear negotiator, a stint during which he helped seal a deal with the EU under which Iran suspended uranium enrichment as a gesture to the West. After he was replaced, Iran resumed those activities and has pushed ahead with them despite UN sanctions and resolutions demanding a halt.
He indirectly criticized Ahmadinejad's frequent statements dismissing the effect of UN sanctions on Iran, saying "the economic impact is felt in the life of the people."
Turning to Iran's economic struggles, Rowhani said that despite high prices for Iran's oil, "we don't see a healthy and dynamic economy."
"If we had an accurate and comprehensive plan, most of the country's problems could have been resolvable," he said.
Rowhani said important policy decisions were being made by only a few people.
"The views and opinions of others must be sought, too," he said, adding: "We can't reach adequate national unity with so much shortsightedness."
On Friday, Ahmadinejad denounced critics of his nuclear policies and made what appeared to be a dig at Rowhani for discussing the nuclear standoff with German officials during a visit to Germany last month.
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