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Iranian Principlists maneuver to contain hard-liners

Most Principlists are actively working to contain radicals within their camp, but their endeavor isn’t being helped by pride among Reformists riding on the back of consecutive electoral successes.
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The Principlist camp has for some time sought to project a nonradical image, trying to move away from past experiences that Iranian society associates with it. However, these efforts have not always been successful. Indeed, the radical current within the camp continues to remain active — to the chagrin of more influential conservative forces.

On June 7, following the terrorist attacks in Tehran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei encouraged his supporters to “fire at will” against presumed enemies of the state. His remarks caused an uproar in Iran’s political circles.

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