Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad’s appointments of special envoys for foreign affairs is seen as a direct challenge to the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Decisions on foreign policy issues — including the contentious issue of Iran’s nuclear program — are traditionally subject to the supreme leader’s approval. However, four appointments made by the president in recent weeks suggest that he intends to exert greater influence on Iranian diplomacy, and could be trying to wrest outright control from Khamenei in the sphere of foreign policy.

Special presidential envoys for foreign policy are not without precedent — President Mohammad Khatami, for example had two such envoys. The difference is that under Khatami, the appointment of envoys was decided by consensus and subject to approval by the president’s cabinet, while Ahmadinejad appears to be making appointments unilaterally.