Ahmadinejad's Chief of Staff: "Iran needs to remove the mullahs from power once for all ..."

"... Certainly, political opportunism is involved. Many Iranians regard all this as additional signs that Ahmadinejad and Mashaei are planning a self-serving presidential transition in which the latter may become more moderate domestically and more open to compromise internationally. Indeed, Iranian sources indicate that Mashaei sees Iran's future progress as linked to positive interactions with Western nations...."