Iran’s Ahmadinejad seeks political comeback

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, center, talks with a man after receiving his petition for help outside his house in northeastern Tehran, Iran, Monday, Aug. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has launched a political campaign ahead of February’s parliamentary elections in what could prove a challenge to the moderates behind a landmark nuclear agreement reached last month.

Few expect a rerun of Ahmadinejad’s surprise victory in the 2005 elections, which kicked off an eight-year presidency marked by confrontation with the West, incendiary rhetoric toward Israel and refusal to compromise on the disputed nuclear program. Many…