Ahmadinejad row with Khamenei intensifies

A political dispute between Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country's supreme leader is reported to have intensified.

Ahmadinejad is said to be contemplating resigning after Heidar Moslehi, the intelligence minister he had sacked, was reinstated by Khamenei.

The president is understood to have shirked some of his duties and skipped cabinet meetings for the past ten days in anger over the decision.

Mehrdad Khonsari, an analyst with the Centre for Arab and Iranian Studies in London, told Al Jazeera on Friday that the dispute, which began last month, had become "serious".

english.aljazeera.net...

It is honestly difficult to formulate an opinion on this issue as we do not have all the facts. However we know Ahmadinejad is a religous hardliner whilist he supports his countries nuclear program he is still comitted to peace in a sense but not as actively as his supreme leader Khamenei who has on multiple occasions tried to negotiate with the West in regards to the nuclear program- to no avail. Concessions such as UN and EU monitoring, withdrawal of support for Hizbollah and Hamas and healing relations with Israel has been offered by Khamenei in return for the ability to continue it's nuclear program and strengthen ties with the U.S. I myself would say Khamenei is better for the West aslong as they comit therselves to real diplomacy with Iran(instead of aiding to a continuing escalation).

I do not which side of the argument is better for the West and Israel in regards to peace, however I do no a rift in the political leadership of Iran would be an oppurtunity for regime change or further weakening of the state.