Iran's reformists push for a greater role in governance

Iran's Reformists are calling on President Masoud Pezeshkian to take action against other power centers that prevented Mohammad Khatami, their de facto leader, from attending a public event on Thursday.

On the eighth anniversary of former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's death, his family inaugurated a charity cancer center in Tehran. The facility, built in Hashemi Rafsanjani's memory, was launched during a high-profile ceremony attended by numerous political and public figures, including former President Hassan Rouhani. However, Mohammad Khatami's absence was conspicuous.

Reformist politician Zahra Bahramnejad told the media that despite Pezeshkian’s efforts to involve a broader range of political forces loyal to the Islamic Republic in governance, certain power structures and influential elites continue to resist political unity.

In Iranian political discourse, terms like “highest officials of the system” often refer to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who exerts significant influence over critical decisions in the country.

Many believe Khamenei approved Pezeshkian’s candidacy in the July elections to boost voter turnout amid expectations of low engagement. Pezeshkian has acknowledged that without Khamenei’s support, the Guardian Council would not have cleared him to run.

Reformists have called on Pezeshkian to address the obstruction of his efforts to foster national unity, a promise he has frequently emphasized as the only path to “saving Iran”.

Although Pezeshkian identifies himself as a Reformist, his so-called "Government of Unity" includes several figures from the rival hardline camp and only a handful of Reformists.