banner of "moderation" and "reform" as Rouhani justifies and defends Khamenei's Middle East policies.

A more ideological government would alienate Russia and give the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel more reason to push back against Iran's strategy in Iraq, Syria and the Gulf region.

Meanwhile, the Iranians are watching with alarm on the eve of the elections, as Saudi leaders are aggressively trying to enlist US President Donald Trump's support against Tehran ahead of his upcoming visit to the kingdom later this week.

Reports from Washington speak of Saudi plans to buy $100-300bn of US arms and invest $40bn more in the US economy, in the hopes that money will buy them leverage and influence with the Trump administration.

Emboldened by Trump's rhetoric, Saudi leaders have already threatened to move the "battle"TBILISI -- Billionaire and former Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili will retake control of the ruling Georgian Dream party, which he founded.

Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, who is the current leader of the party, told reporters in Tbilisi on April 26 that Ivanishvili agreed to take over Georgian Dream after Kvirikashvili and other party leaders asked him to.

The center-left Georgian Dream coalition was formed by Ivanishvili, who led it to victory over the long-dominant United National Movement party of Georgia's former President Mikheil Saakashvili in a 2012 parliamentary election.

Ivanishvili served as prime minister for a year after his party's victory before he announced he was leaving politics and ceded the post to an ally.

He is widely believed to have continued to wield a powerful influence on Georgian Dream from