Revelations of major high-level corruption by a former lawmaker have shaken Iran’s political landscape, with many viewing the exposure as a tactic to bolster Mojtaba Khamenei’s candidacy to succeed his father as Supreme Leader.
The release of a 2.5-hour interview in which Abbas Palizdar discusses a 54,000-page document detailing corruption cases involving 52 senior officials and their inner circles has sent shockwaves through Iran’s political sphere, sparking numerous questions about possible motives.
The selective nature of these revelations that mainly target officials who are no longer alive or relevant, coupled with the timing of their release, suggests a calculated strategy rather than a genuine commitment to fighting corruption.
Throughout the interview, Palizdar, who served as the secretary of the Judiciary Inquiry and Review Committee in the parliament in early 2000s and is an apparent ally of Mojtaba Khamenei, used every opportunity to portray him as a potential savior who can cleanse the establishment of corruption.
By spotlighting the misdeeds of past leaders, particularly those who are deceased or out of power, the revelations appear to be deflecting attention from ongoing corruption, while positioning Mojtaba Khamenei as a viable successor. This strategy, noted by social media commentators in the absence of a free press, aims to shape public perception amidst growing discontent.
"Based on the information I have, I hope that his [Mojtaba Khamenei’s] succession will happen soon," Palizdar stated. "With Mojtaba stepping into the country’s leadership, we can expect fundamental reforms. There’s no one more knowledgeable about executive matters and the country’s situation than him. He also has the strength to crush economic corruption at its core."
However, some commentators speaking on Persian language networks outside Iran noted that the allegations of corruption could have also been aimed at discrediting Khamenei and his son. After all, all the cases mentioned happened under Ali Khamenei's watch.
Among the names of corrupt officials revealed by Palizdar are Mohammad Yazdi and Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, both former heads of Iran's all-powerful judiciary, and Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, a former parliament speaker and Mojtaba Khamenei’s father-in-law.
Palizdar said Yazdi, the first head of the judiciary after the 1979 revolution, held his position for 10. He added Yazdi used his position to secure control of Dena Tire Company for his family, seize 3,000 hectares of land in northern Iran, and even use seized judicial funds as personal property. Yazdi enjoyed Khamenei's support during his tenure.
Palizdar also accused Shahroudi, who led the judiciary for the next 10 years after Yazdi, of taking the Mouteh gold mine in Isfahan and cleric Mohammad Emami Kashani, Khamenei’s representative to lead Tehran Friday prayers, of taking the Dehbid stone mine in Fars province, among the biggest in the world.
Mojtaba Khamenei, now 55 years old, became more prominent in discussions of succession after Mehdi Karroubi, a cleric under house arrest, directly accused him of playing a critical role in securing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory in the 2005 presidential election.
In April 2023, a leaked document reportedly from a confidential meeting between senior IRGC commanders and the Supreme Leader suggested that Mojtaba Khamenei was actively pursuing the succession project. The document also implied that Mojtaba had begun influencing high-level appointments, bypassing figures such as Ebrahim Raisi, a former frontrunner for leadership.
The theory of Mojtaba Khamenei’s succession gained further attention following the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash earlier this year.
Sadegh Mohammadi, Vice President of the General Assembly of the Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom, described Mojtaba Khamenei as a “jurisprudent and Muslim scholar” in March. He also suggested that Mojtaba could be “one of the future leadership candidates.”