Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was forced to leave the United Arab Emirates after he arrived in the country to visit the Expo 2020 in Dubai, due to the recommendation of Emirati officials, according to Iranian Fars News.
He reportedly returned to Iran on Sunday night.
Ahmadinejad served as the sixth president of Iran from 2005 to 2013. In May, it was reported that he wants to run for the presidency again.
محمود احمدینژاد که برای بازدید از نمایشگاه اکسپو ۲۰۲۰ به امارات سفر کرده بود، به توصیه مسئولان این کشور مجبور شد سفر خود را نیمهکاره رها کرده و به ایران برگردد. او ساعت ۲۱ دبی را ترک کرد. pic.twitter.com/jEPN63xloO
— خبرگزاری فارس (@FarsNews_Agency) October 17, 2021
The Expo 2020, an event to display the achievements of all participating countries to the world, had been postponed to October 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was originally supposed to start last year.
The European Parliament voted last month to boycott the UAE Expo due to the country's human rights record, and also called on other member states to not participate in the event.
Ahmadinejad is known to be controversial due to his statements denying the Holocaust. Ahmadinejad attempted to justify his claims by saying that the Holocaust is "a pretext for Israeli oppression of Palestinians."