TEHRAN: Iranian officials said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is suffering from simple exhaustion, in a rare public statement apparently designed to combat widespread Tehran rumors he is more seriously ill.
There are growing signals even some supporters hope Ahmadinejad won’t seek a second term in crucial elections next year.
Parliament member Mohammad Ismail Kowsari, an ally of the president, said late on Saturday that Ahmadinejad was feeling sick because of the strain of his job, according to the state-run news agency, IRNA.But Kowsari downplayed the seriousness of Ahmadinejad’s illness.
“The president will eventually get better and continue working,” said Kowsari, who accompanied Ahmadinejad last month to the UN General Assembly. “Every human being can face exhaustion under such a workload.”
