When Hassan Rouhani launched his 2013 presidential campaign, he received strong backing from the reformist camp. Khatami played a strategic role in convincing Mohammad Reza Aref to withdraw from the race, thus consolidating the reformist vote behind Rouhani. In a public message, Khatami announced his support for Rouhani, urging Iranians to vote for moderation and reform. Rouhani’s subsequent victory was widely attributed to this endorsement.
Rouhani himself acknowledged Khatami’s role. In his post-election message, he thanked Khatami alongside Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, declaring them symbols of wisdom and national responsibility. Yet, even with Rouhani’s administration in office, Khatami remained under semi-official media restrictions, and his image was rarely broadcast on state television.
Struggles and Silencing
Perhaps one of the most striking paradoxes of Khatami’s later political life has been the state’s ambivalent treatment of him. On one hand, his reformist credentials and popularity have made him a central figure in Iranian political culture. On the other, state-imposed bans have rendered his name and image absent from official media channels.