This file photo taken on July 18, 2013 shows Iran's then outgoing president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaking during a press conference at the presidential palace in Baghdad (AFP photo)

TEHRAN — Iran's controversial former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose two-term rule saw the country increasingly isolated internationally, has said he will not stand again following advice from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In a letter to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Tuesday, Ahmadinejad expressed his gratitude for the Leader’s “significant” statements at the beginning of an advanced course on Islamic religious studies held in Tehran on Monday. But Ayatollah Khamenei, the Islamic republic’s ultimate decision-maker, said on Monday that if Mr Ahmadinejad ran in the election it “will be detrimental for the country”.
Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declines to run for a third term in the upcoming election. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has previously advised Ahmadinejad to not seek the presidency next year.