Protests in Tehran suggest escalation in power struggle between Rouhani and Khamenei after landslide re-election

The Guardian, 23 June 2017 – Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, has been heckled during an annual pro-Palestinian rally in Tehran, a week after he was criticised by the supreme leader, as a power struggle between the two appeared to escalate.
Rouhani, who was participating in the Quds rally, which is held on the last Friday of Ramadan, had to be rushed to his car after protesters shouted slogans comparing him to Abolhassan Banisadr, the country’s first president who was impeached and later exiled after falling foul of the clerical establishment.
“Rouhani, Banisadr, happy marriage,” protesters chanted. There were also shouts of “Death to liar, death to American mullah”.
This month, Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, humiliated Rouhani in public, saying he should not polarise the society in the same way – in Khamenei’s opinion – that Banisadr did.
“In 1980-81 the then president polarised society in two camps, and divided the country into opponents and supporters; this should not be repeated,” the 78-year-old ayatollah said last week, prompting retaliatory remarks by Rouhani.
The heckling at Friday’s rally indicates Khamenei has given his hardline supporters carte blanche to attack the president, who increased his mandate by 5m votes with a landslide victory in last month’s election.
Rouhani has remained defiant in the face of pressure. On Thursday, he implied that the powerful Revolutionary Guards, which are controlled by Khamenei, act as a parallel government, albeit one equipped with arms and access to media.