The argument his allies make is this: Mr Ahmadi-Nejad has turned the world against Iran and wrecked its economy. His populist policies have sent prices skyrocketing, hurting most those he claims to protect. And his defiance over Iran’s nuclear programme threatens to provoke military strikes from the US, Israel, or both.
But Mr Khatami needs to decide quickly. If he chooses not to run, reformists should waste no time in joining Mr Ahmadi-Nejad’s other critics – and he has alienated many segments of society, including clerics and businessmen – round another single candidate.
