Iran leaked tape scandal claims its first victim
One of the most powerful members of President Hassan Rouhani's inner circle has stepped down as the repercussions of a leaked audio file containing controversial statements by Iran's foreign minister continue to shake the country's political scene.
Hesamoddin Ashena, a longtime aide to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and an influential member of his office, has resigned, according to reports circulated across Iranian media April 29.
Rouhani appointed government spokesman Ali Rabiei as the director of the Center for Strategic Research, affiliated with Iran's Presidential Office, where an interview with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was conducted for confidential archives but was leaked to foreign-based Persian media last week.
In the audiotape, Zarif is heard revealing Russian influence on Iranian foreign policy. His unprecedented criticism of how the slain commander of Iran's Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani, manipulated Iranian diplomacy has particularly highlighted divisions within the corridors of power in Tehran.
In his letter of appointment addressing the center's new director, Rouhani ignored the common Iranian administrative tradition by expressing no acknowledgment of Ashena's service, fueling speculation that Ashena had been dismissed.
