Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who in September was “advised” by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, not to run in the May 19 presidential elections, has been writing letters and statements addressing US President Donald Trump and the Iranian government. In the face of opposition from the ruling establishment, Ahmadinejad is trying to maintain a presence on Iran's political scene by attracting the attention of the media and the public through the issuance of statements and by encouraging his former deputy, Hamid Baghaei, to run in the upcoming polls.
In a Feb. 26 letter to Trump, Ahmadinejad urged him to “reform the political structure of the US,” raising eyebrows in Iran and eliciting criticism from Reformist as well as moderate media outlets. The letter was rejected by the Swiss Embassy, which represents US interests in Iran. According to Iranian media reports, the embassy told the Iranian Foreign Ministry that it was not its responsibility to play “postman.”
