"while Ahmadinejad is a lunatic, the mullahs who actually run Iran aren't"
Boy are you out of date. Ahmadi-Nejad and his IRGC (Revolutionary Guard) colleagues have filled every top position in the Executive Banch, control the paramilitary and military and the old timers like Supreme Leader Khamenei have become figureheads though protocol still runs things through them.
They do not dare say no to him from fear of being arrested by HIS people for dereliction of Islamic duty etc.,
You need to update your system!! :-)) It's a new gang in control and Ahmadi-Nejad is the leader. Bowng to looney Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi and nobody else.
They do not dare say no to him from fear of being arrested by HIS people for dereliction of Islamic duty etc."
Do you have a link to a source for this?