TEHRAN –The office of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution issued a warning on Tuesday, urging presidential candidates to avoid quoting Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei out of context or inaccurately.

“It has been taken into notice that in recent days, some respected candidates, members of their campaign staff, or affiliated figures have made incomplete or incorrect quotations from [the statements of] the Leader of the Islamic Revolution,” said the office in a statement. “Everyone is expected to pay necessary attention to this matter and refrain from repeating it,” it added. 

The statement did not mention which candidate(s) had misquoted or misrepresented the Leader’s remarks. But following the warning from the Leader’s office, social media users drew attention to recent comments by Alireza Zakani, a conservative candidate, who claimed on national TV that Ayatollah Khamenei had not been in favor of inking the JCPOA during a private meeting.

Ayatollah Khamenei has always refrained from favoring presidential candidates throughout the years, only asking them to uphold ethical standards and avoid attacking their opponents unjustly. 

During a recent meeting with Iranian prodigies, the Leader urged the youth to vote for someone who is true to the Islamic Revolution and knows how to execute his responsibilities as the president perfectly.