Iran Reformists Criticize Ahmadinejad

Iran's main reformist party is accusing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of hurting the nation's poor.

At an annual meeting of the Islamic Iran Participation Front Thursday, party leader Mohsen Mirdamadi attacked both the president's foreign and economic policies.

The party hopes to field former president Mohammad Khatami to challenge Mr. Ahmadinejad in next year's presidential election. Mr. Khatami has not yet said if he will run.

Mr. Ahmadinejad said Wednesday Iran must base its budget on oil worth as little as $30 a barrel. It is a drastic downward revision likely to lead to spending cuts.

In recent months, when oil was nearly $150 a barrel, the president promised to spread the nation's oil wealth. But with the plummeting price, and inflation at about 30 percent, he has had to postpone his economic reform plans.