Under the Leader’s Cloak: How Khamenei’s Office Operates

By Dr Majid Mohammadi

In his riveting new book, Majid Mohammadi, an Iranian sociologist and political analyst renowned for his publications on Iranian affairs, deconstructs the complicated office structure of the Iranian supreme leader. His seminal publication provides readers with in-depth insights into Khamenei’s office, its internal workings, decision-making processes, the cornerstone of its power, and much more. It explores the hidden world of the Leader’s office, demonstrating its complete monopolization over decision-making, bringing to light the powerbrokers that lie in the shadows. This unique publication is a must-read to understand Iranian politics and goes beyond the existing literature on Iran by exploring the opaque world of the Leader’s office, shedding light on its extensive operations and its management of day-to-day Iranian affairs. The eight-chapter book reveals the functions of the Leader’s office by providing an in-depth account of its tasks ranging from handling Khamenei’s meetings to international outreach and managing oil contracts; how the office operates with a look at the strategies and tactics regularly employed such as cronyism, secrecy, and fiefdom; the organizational system of the office is studied, highlighting the different approaches adopted including the mafia and politburo systems. In addition to this, the structure of the office and its top leadership are rigorously analyzed; the management model of the Leader’s office and its legal status in the Iranian Constitution are also examined; finally, the manner in which the Leader’s authority is channeled and how the institutions under the Leader’s office operate are scrutinized. This publication provides detailed insights and uncovers a juggernaut which many people are unaware of, particularly its size, the extent and nature of its operations, calling into question the actual role and purpose of Iran’s elected institutions, highlighting the power struggles between the Leader’s office and Iran’s elected institutions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Singapore
• Release date: Mar 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9781543762822

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 by Dr Majid Mohammadi.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Toll Free [phone] (Singapore)

Toll Free [phone] (Malaysia)

[e-mail]

www.partridgepublishing.com/singapore

Contents

List Of Abbreviations

Glossary

Notes On Transliteration And Dates

Acknowledgments

Preface

Chapter One: How To Understand The Iri Leader’s Office

1.1 A Monster in Disguise

1.2 The Leader’s True Powers

1.3 The Leader’s Office and Its True Powers

1.4 Khamenei’s Team

Chapter Two: What Does The Leader’s Office Do?

2.1 Expected Tasks

2.1.1 Handling Khamenei’s Meetings

2.1.2 Channeling Messages

2.1.3 Presenting the Leader as a Saint

2.2 Tasks Beyond Expectations

2.2.1 Issuing Fatwas

2.2.2 Propaganda

2.2.3 Intervening in Legislation

2.2.4 The Leader’s Economic and Financial Empire

2.2.5 Handling Oil Contracts

2.2.6 Economic Policymaking

2.2.7 Distributing Rents

2.2.8 Terror and Oppression

2.2.9 Social and Cultural Engineering

2.2.10 International Outreach

2.2.11 Managing International and National Threats

2.2.12 Interfering in Elections

2.2.13 Crescent Watching

2.2.14 Advising the Leader

2.2.15 Protecting the Leader

2.2.16 Communicating the Leader’s Messages

2.2.17 Coordinating Drug Trafficking

2.3 Conclusion

Chapter Three: How Does It Work?

3.1 Objectives and Ends

3.2 Strategies

3.2.1 Cronyism

3.2.2 Secrecy

3.2.3 Totalitarian Ambition

3.2.4 Blunt Hypocrisy

3.2.5 Zero Accountability

3.2.6 Rule Over Law

3.2.7 Victimization

3.3 Tactics

3.3.1 Taking Control of High Yielding Businesses

3.3.2 Good Salaries and Perks for Staff Members

3.3.3 Fiefdom

3.3.4 Outsourcing and Franchising

3.3.5 Affirmative Action

Chapter Four: Organization Of The Iri Leader’s Office

4.1 Organizational Philosophy: Free Riding

4.2 Leadership Philosophy: Master-Subject

4.3 Hai’ati Approach

4.4 Mafia Approach

4.5 Politburo Approach

4.6 Structure of the Leader’s Office and Its Top Officers

Chapter Five: Management Model Of The Iri Leader’s Office

5.1 How Is the Leader’s Office Run?

5.1.1 Decorum

5.1.2 Security

5.1.3 Religion

5.1.4 Business/Finance

5.1.5 Lobbying

5.2 Domestic Management Strategies

5.3 International Management Strategies

5.4 Centralized and Totalitarian Style

Chapter Six: Legal Status And Capacity Of The Leader’s Office

6.1 In the Constitution

6.2 In Statutes

6.3 In Cabinet Ratifications

6.4 Rule Above the Law

Chapter Seven How Is The Leader’s Authority Channeled?

7.1 Resorting to the Leader’s Personality and Crises

7.2 Rent Distribution and Loyalty Collection System

7.3 Ways of Communication

chapter Eight: How Do Institutions Under The Leader’s Office Work?

8.1 Business

8.2 Financing

8.3 Organization

Conclusion

Questions To Be Answered

Bibliography

Under the Leader’s Cloak

How Khamenei’s Office Operates

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

GLOSSARY

`Atabat `Aliat: Shiite saint mausoleums in Iraq

Aqa: master

Aqazadeh: son or daughter of a master (usually a son in the context of Iran’s ruling class)

Astan-ha-ye Quds: endowments of Shiite mausoleums

Atash be ekhtiar: doing something without considering regulations

Bait: house (of high-ranking clerics and guardian jurist)

Baqiyattullah: The legacy of Allah, Imam-e Zaman (leader of the era)

Basij: militia

Bedoun-e tashrifat-e monaqeseh: no bidding contract (while highest bid should be accepted)

Bedoun-e tashrifat-e mozayedeh: no bidding contract (while lowest bid should be accepted)

Bonyads: foundations

Dakhmeh: dark underground hole for criminal gatherings

Darbar: king’s office

Dore o bari ha: having people around

Doshman: enemy

Enheraf: ideological deviation

Eslam: Islam

Estemzaj: testing someone’s true intentions

Faraj: Opening (the rise of Imam-e Zaman)

Fatwa: a religious verdict

Fetneh: insurgency

Fetrah: natural state

Feqh (Fiqh): Islamic jurisprudence

Gozinesh: recruitment that is usually based on ideological discrimination in the IRI

Hai`at: a ceremonial organization Halal: religiously legitimate

Halqeh ye nazdeek: closed circuit (people very close to the center of power)

Hezb-e padegani: barrack-based party (metaphor referring to Iran’s hardliners)

Hezbullah: party of God

Hezbullahi: a member of the party of God

Hoseinieh: a place for mourning the tragic death of the Shi`ites’ third Imam

Iftar: breaking fast in Ramadan

Imam-e Zaman: Shiite twelfth Imam

Javidan: immortal guards

Khaimeh: Tent

Khavas: close circuit (people close to the center of power)

Khodi and ghair-e khodi: insider and outsider, in the loop and outside of the loop

Khoms: one-fifth, Imam’s share of public wealth

Laat: thug

Maddahan: people who sing mournful poems for Imam Hosein and his family members

Majles: the Islamic Republic’s Parliament

Marja`: source of emulation for Shiite true believers

Mostaz`afan: economically deprived, low-income people

Najis (Nejes): inherently impure

Nazri: food or beverage vowed to be distributed

Pahlavi: Iran’s ruling dynasty between 1925 and 1979

Parastu: dove, a code name for an attractive and seductive woman

Pasdaran: guards

Qajar: Iran’s ruling dynasty in the 18th and 19th centuries

Qamari: lunar

Resaleh: a book of fatwas

Sadaqeh: donations

Sahm-e imam: the leader’s share or fief

Sar dasteh: group head or underboss

Seda: voice

Seda va Sima: Iran’s Governmental Radio and TV Organization Sepah-e Vali-ye Amr: Special operations unit of the Basij tasked with personal security of Iran’s Leader

Shamsi: solar

Shar`i: what is religiously permitted

Shari`ah: God’s laws for Muslims

Sima: face

Sofreh: A wide cloth used as a spread for having food while sitting on the ground

Ta`ahhod: loyalty

Takyeh: a makeshift place for mourning ceremonies in Muharram

Tasfieh: purge

`Ulama: Clerics

Urf: tradition

Va`ez: preacher

Vali: master

Velayat-e faqih: the institution of guardian jurist

Waqf: endowment

Zakat: a religious tax

Zemmi: non-Muslims living in Muslim majority societies

NOTES ON TRANSLITERATION AND DATES

The system of transliteration used in this study marks consonants according to the system adopted by the International Journal of Middle East Studies, but omits diacritical marks, with the exception of the hamzeh (indicated by an apostrophe ‘) and the ayn (indicated by a grave '). Vowels are marked to reflect the sound in English that most closely approximates modern Persian pronunciation. Words commonly used in English are transliterated according to common practice. The common spelling of names such as Reza, Tehran, and Khan has been retained. Personal names are spelt in accordance with the transliteration rules outlined here, except when cited in European language sources. I did not change the transliteration of the Middle Eastern names that have already been used in English. All Persian and Arabic words used in the text are italicized unless they have common usage in English. All translations are done by the author unless otherwise stated. All ezafehs (a noun governing the genitive or possessive case) are transliterated as –e or –ye, depending on the last character in the Persian word.

In the text, dates are all in the Gregorian calendar unless they refer directly to Persian texts. Wherever a date is given in the Islamic solar (shamsi, A.S. anno shamsi) or lunar (qamari, A.Q. anno qamari) calendar, they are followed by the corresponding Gregorian date. In the transliteration of common words used both in Arabic and Persian, I have used their own system respectively, for example fiqh, 'urf, dhemmi, and Islam if they are used in Arabic and feqh, 'orf, zemmi, and Eslam (when it is used in the name of books or individuals) if they are used in Persian.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

In Washington, DC, I am deeply grateful to Mr. Mohsen Sazgara for helping me check some statistics and provide me with some first-hand information about the nuts and bolts of the Leader’s office. I had the pleasure of crafting my own analysis through conversations with informed individuals who have shared my adventures and experiences.

I also thank Mr. Mojtaba Vahedi for his information on Sepah-e Vali-ye Amr. There are other people who shared with me their knowledge and experience but want to remain anonymous.

Three other sources gave me some information about the Leader’s office during face-to-face interaction. They did not provide me with new information, but I needed some sources to confirm what I knew beforehand. They did not want me to disclose their identity. Iran’s exiled community, especially in Europe, has some information, of which many are reluctant about sharing it. The IRI has been highly successful in silencing people.

I would like to include a special note of thanks to the enthusiastic people who are interested in Iranian politics. Without their enthusiasm, this work would not have materialized.

My heartfelt appreciation goes to my wife for her care and support during my years of working on Iranian affairs.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge with gratitude the support of Dr. Mohammad Al-Sulami, Founder and President of the International Institute for Iranian Studies. This research would not have been possible without his interest and his contributions. He read the manuscript and gave me immensely helpful comments.

PREFACE

The term bait (an Arabic word that means house) is overwhelmingly used when people refer to Khamenei’s abuse of power and corruption. There have also been a lot of misrepresentations, rumors, disinformation, exaggerations, and false reports regarding the members and functions of the office of the Leader of the IRI.(¹) This office has a lot of friends and enemies who staunchly love it or hate it. The non-transparent policy of the Leader’s office invites this love or hate relationship. What I