The story: In a rare open letter, former Iranian president Hassan Rouhani (2013-21) has slammed the conservative-dominated Guardian Council for deeming him unfit to defend his seat in the Assembly of Experts. Elected to serve eight-year terms, the 88 members of the council will likely name the successor of 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Moreover, defending his own administration’s achievements, moderate Rouhani has taken a dig at his conservative successor Ebrahim Raisi for failing to restore the 2015 nuclear deal and lift western sanctions.

The coverage: In an open letter published on May 13, Rouhani said he is publicly airing grievances to “defend...