As the economic crisis in Iran expands and the ruling regime fails to address this dilemma, some institutions close to the government, including eight organizations tied to the “Student Mobilization Organization (SMO)” (Basij-e Daneshju) linked to the IRGC, have called on the regime First Vice President to resign if he is not willing to be held “accountable”.
In a letter to Mohammad Mokhber, the signatories call on him for the “third and final time” to provide some answers and “transparency” regarding the “government’s economic plans” as well as his “two-year report card.”
Members of the SMO from across the country have stated in their letter that the government is a place for “action” while the university is a place for “questioning.” If the First Vice President and the “head of the government’s economic team” cannot provide answers to university students after two years of his controversial decisions and actions, “you must present your resignation to the Iranian people.”
Mokhber has constantly promised to quickly address the country’s important economic challenges, such as inflation, high prices, and shortages of certain goods. These dilemmas have only been worsening during the two years since regime President Ebrahim Raisi assumed office as president.
On the anniversary of Raisi’s inauguration on September 4, 2022, Mokhber claimed that “we have been suffering from inflation, budget imbalances, and banking imbalances for more than 50 to 60 years. However, we are working to reach a good situation to reform and regulate the budget structure.” Therefore, the Raisi cabinet has started major work for “economic growth, production, and employment,” Mokhber claimed.
“Unfortunately, current policies and inconsistencies portray the opposite of this desirable situation. Today it is time to shed light on everything that has been done and is being done, and share that information with the public,” the SMO letter continues.
Mohammad Mokhber is one of the figures close to regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in addition to being Raisi’s First Vice President, he is also a member of the “Expediency Discernment Council”. Prior to Raisi’s presidency, Mokhber was the head of the so-called “Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order” (EIKO), one of the largest and opaque cartels of the government.
In such circumstances and considering that Ebrahim Raisi has been under harsh criticism for his incompetence, it is not surprising that someone like Mohammad Mokhber oversees the government’s economic team.
Mokhber has had numerous financial corruption controversies during his tenure as EIKO chief and as the deputy chair of the regime’s Mostazafan Foundation. His son, Sajjad Mokhber, also has a multi-billion dollar debt case at Pasargad Bank.
The SMO letter is important because the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij were among the first supporters of Ebrahim Raisi and his close associates during the regime’s presidential election sham two years ago.
This letter displays how the regime’s internal disputes and conflicts have reached the highest echelons, to the point where the closest circles to Khamenei himself are also protesting the status quo. Economic pressures on the people and hollow promises by the regime’s officials are rendering a growing trend of various daily protests throughout Iran.
The letter also shows a growing rift among the regime’s elite. In the past years, Khamenei has taken a series of measures to eliminate any kind of rivalry and consolidate power within his loyalists. All three branches of power are ruled by figures who are close allies of Khamenei. However, even these measures have not managed to toned down infighting among regime officials.
One of the influential people in Raisi’s government was Seyed Reza Fatemi Amin, the former Minister of Industry, Mining, and Trade. He was considered one of Mokhber’s close associates in the government’s economic team. On April 30, he was impeached due to inefficiency and financial corruption by the regime’s Majlis (parliament). In the past decade, Fatemi Amin has collaborated and accompanied Mokhber in EIKO and its subsidiary companies.
Amin was the sixth member of Raisi’s cabinet to be sacked or dismissed. Raisi made several changes to his administration since becoming president, including the replacement of the minister of agriculture and the head of planning and budget in March. In April, the education minister was dismissed by Raisi due to a delay in payments to teachers. Later in December, the minister of roads was replaced by Raisi after being diagnosed with a terminal illness. Additionally, the labor minister was replaced by Raisi in response to protests by workers and retirees regarding payments.
