Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei

(Newser) - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's time is nearly up and nearly 700 candidates are vying to replace him as president of Iran, CNN reports. Iranian authorities say 686 hopefuls have registered for the election next month—but all the candidates need to be vetted by the Guardian Council controlled by Supreme Leader...

(Newser) - Mahmoud Ahmadinedjad’s feud with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei isn't his fault: He’s under a magic spell. At least, that’s the theory one influential cleric is peddling. In an interview with an Iranian magazine, Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, a former Ahmadinejad supporter, says he believes...

(Newser) - The power struggle between Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is getting more intense—and a lot weirder. Several people close to Ahmadinejad and his chief of staff, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, have been arrested in recent days and charged with being magicians and summoning genies, reports...