Ahmadinejad to address nation

This one is very interesting for a number of reasons. First, to the article:

'Absent' Ahmadinejad to address nation next week: media

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has not appeared in public for more than a week, is to make a televised address to the nation within days, local media reported Thursday, citing an official.

"Ahmadinejad will speak to the nation next week, and his comments are going to please the friends of the revolution and despair the enemies of the regime," several newspapers reported the vice-president in charge of parliamentary affairs, Mohammad Reza Mir-Tajedini, as saying.

Well, that alone tweaks my interest, particularly the bolded comments above: "despair the enemies of the regime" and, "please the friends of the revolution". That leaves the door open to many possibilities. Is this a reference to nuclear development? Does it have to do with the Mahdi's return? Does it have to do with Israel's destruction?

The president has not been seen in public since April 22, when supreme leader Ali Khamenei overturned the resignation of Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi, which was imposed by Ahmadinejad.

The rebuke and reinstatement of Moslehi has given rise to media reports of sharp differences between Ahmadinejad and his opponents, notably the ultra-conservatives who dominate parliament and thrive on Khamenei's backing.

According to Fars news agency which is close to the regime's hardliners, the conservative majority in the parliament met on Thursday morning with Majlis speaker Ali Larijani to discuss the situation, after hearing a report by a deputy who recently met with Ahmadinejad.

Fifty conservative lawmakers on Wednesday signed a petition demanding that Ahmadinejad appear before parliament.

Now this too is interesting and adds another layer to the situation. Note that Ahmadinejad is being pressured by the "conservative" element in Iran - which is hard to imagine as Ahmadinejad is typically viewed as a "hard-line" Islamic with fairly radical views - yet apparently, in Iran, he isn't conservative enough for the lawmakers and clerics.

Just to speculate on this situation, we can see the following:

- Ahmadinejad is under pressure by the conservative groups within Iran.
- Ahmadinejad is under pressure to keep his current position as President of Iran.
- Ahmadinejad will have to find a way to please this conservative block of clerics and lawmakers in order to remain in power.

How can he accomplish this?

That would require even more speculation, but it is interesting that he has chosen this time to make a televised address and is considering his 'announcement' as something that will "please the friends of the revolution" - which is another way of stating that his announcements will please this conservative block of Iran's leadership.

This is worth watching very closely and we should know "within days" what Ahmadinejad has up his sleeve.

Why do I have a feeling that somehow it will involve Israel?

We shall see.