Tehran deletes video portraying Rouhani as key leader

CAIRO – 13 March 2019: The official website of President Hassan Rouhani's administration has deleted a controversial video describing the implications of Rouhani's meeting with Iraq's top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Radio Farda reported on Wednesday.

The video, posted on March 12, said Rouhani's Wednesday meeting with Sistani, will include three powerful messages for three major audiences.

The video quoted "analysts" as saying that the first message is that the meeting will show to Iraqi leaders that Rouhani has tremendous power and they can always contact him directly rather than reaching out to "military figures or other institutions about tactical agreements."

Soleimani has been a frequent visitor to Iraq since then and has played an influential part in dealing with ISIS and leaving the Kurdish independence referendum futile.

The second message, said the video, was for Iranian leaders to know that Rouhani has been welcomed by Iraq's highest ranking and most influential Shiite cleric.

The message was given on the same day when Rouhani's most important political rival Ebrahim Raeesi was elected the vice-chairman of Assembly of Experts, one day after his appointment as Judiciary chief.

The third message was intended for "the Trump administration and its Arab allies" telling them that "Iran keeps its doors open to other countries including Iraq to secure mutual interests and will not allow third countries to use the Iraqi territory for any action against Iran."

The report further included that users supporting former ultraconservative president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the publishing of the video was part of Rouhani's campaign for succession and the future leadership of Iran.