Some Iran watchers believe Supreme Leader Khamenei selected Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be President in April 2005 and is backing him again today precisely for his apocalyptic views.

“Iran’s spiritual supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Tuesday offered his implicit support to incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for the June presidential election,” reports Agence France Presse and Ynet News.

“We should elect those who have popular support and who live in a simple and modest way… are pained by the pain of the people,” Khamenei said in a speech in Sanandaj in the western province of Kordestan in an apparent reference to hardline Ahmadinejad who is known for his modest style of living.

“I think these are important features,” said Khamenei.

According to the report, “in August last year, Khamenei, in a speech to the government of Ahmadinejad, said that it must make ‘plans for the next five years.'”

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• Op-Ed: Netanyahu shouldn’t force Iranian issue on US — New York Times editorial urges Israeli PM not to pressure US administration into unnecessary moves regarding Tehran, hopes Obama will resist any pressure by Jerusalem
• Read the actual NYT editorial regarding Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to Washington
• Washington Times editorial: U.S. intelligence is ignoring the Iranian nuclear threat
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