Raisi inauguration reveals rifts in Iran establishment
Apart from the controversy over an EU representative's presence at the event, the absence of once powerful politicians laid bare divisions in Iran's upper echelons.
A week after Ebrahim Raisi's inauguration as Iran's new president, questions are lingering and speculation growing over the absence of certain figures from the ceremony. Were they not invited or did they decline to attend? Either way, the visible absences speak volumes about widening cracks in the corridors of power in Tehran.
Ahead of the Aug. 5 swearing-in ceremony, Iranian news outlets reported that invitees from 73 countries were to attend, including 10 heads of state. Of them, only the Iraqi and Afghan presidents made it. Next in seniority were the prime ministers of Syria and Armenia.
Notably, there was a marked presence of representatives of the regional militant groups Iran is funding to strengthen an anti-Israeli "axis of resistance" and advance its controversial regional influence. The state TV's live broadcast repeatedly panned the camera over those guests: leaders of the Palestinian movements Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the deputy chief of Lebanon's Hezbollah and the spokesperson for Yemen's Houthi rebels, all seated in the first row next to the Afghan and Iraqi presidents.
The day before the inauguration, the state broadcaster's website reported that a delegation from Iran's regional foe Saudi Arabia was set to join the event. There was later no explanation given for the group's absence.
