Former Ahmadinejad’s Top Deputy Convicted

Former Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, who served as Ahmadinejad’s senior deputy in 2009-2013, was convicted today on charges related to major government embezzlement. Judiciary spokesman, Qolam Hossein Mohseni Ejehie, made the announcement in Tehran, adding that the appeal process in the case is not yet finalized. (IRNA, 1 September)

File photo: Former Iranian VP Mohammad Reza Rahimi. (IRNA)

Ahmadinejad’s First VP Indicted for Bribery and Embezzlement

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi was indicted today for his alleged role in several high-profile bribery and embezzlement cases that also spill into Turkey, as well as Central and East Asia. Rahimi has denied all charges. (IRNA/Reuters, 17 March)

File photo: Former Iranian First VP Mohammad-Reza Rahimi (IRNA)

Iran’s Vice-President in Turkey

Mohammad Reza Rahimi, the principle deputy to President Ahmadinejad, met with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Thursday. Iran has urged Turkey and Syria to show restraint following cross border tensions between the two countries in the past 48 hours. Meanwhile, the Turkish parliament today authorized Erdoğan’s government to undertake military operations inside Syria. Thursday 4 October 2012. (Photo: IRNA)

Iran to Accept Foreign Aid for Quake Victims

Government Criticized for Slow Response

Iranian First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi told reporters in Tehran that Iran is willing to accept foreign aid for earthquake victims. (IRNA, 14 August)

Iran had earlier refused to accept foreign aid for the victims of the 11 August twin quakes of 6.4- and 6.3-magnitudes that have killed more than 300 people, and injuring nearly 5,000. Rahimi’s announcement was a reversal of the earlier policy.

Meanwhile, there are growing criticism of the Iranian government’s slow response to the crisis. Majlis speaker Ali Larijani called on the cisis management team to “take broader steps to alleviate these concerns.”  

The daily Asr-e Iran reported that three days after the earthquake, some villages had not yet been visited by relief teams. The paper quoted residents as saying that in some of the villages that were destroyed there were still no tents.

IRNA reported today that most villages still did not have electricity or drinking water.

Iranian bloggers are also criticizing President Ahmadinejad for leaving the country to attend the Mecca Summit without visiting the earthquake-stricken region.

Photo Credit: City of Varzeqan, in the northwestern province of East Azerbaijan. 13 August 2012. epa/RFERL.

Iran Central Bank Says It Has Plans to Confront Sanctions

Iran Vice President Calls for Resilience 

The Iranian officials today assured the nation that they have stored up enough hard currency to outlast the EU oil embargo and insurance ban that went into effect today.

"We have not remained passive. To confront the sanctions, we have plans in progress," said Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Governor Mahmoud Bahmani. (Mehr News Agency)

Meanwhile, Iran’s vice president also asked people for resilience in the “battle” against sanctions.

"Today, we are facing the heaviest of sanctions and we ask people to help officials in this battle," said First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi.

He also said that the “dastardly sanctions” might cause “confusion” in the market, but added that the nation will not stop its progress. (IRIB/AP translation, 1 July)

UN, EU Condemn Anti-Semitic Remarks by Iran Vice-President

The UN and the EU have condemned the anti-Semitic remarks made by Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi at a UN international drug trade conference in Tehran on Tuesday.

In his speech delivered to the conference, the Iranian vice president had blamed Jews for international drug trade. The New York Times has described Rahimi’s remarks as “baldly anti-Semitic,” shocking some of the diplomats attending the conference.

Rahimi also had said that The Talmud teaches to “destroy everyone who oppose the Jews.” (The New York Times)

UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday criticized the remarks.

"The secretary general has on many occasions called on Iranian officials to refrain from these kinds of anti-Semitic statements. He does so again in response to these latest reported comments," said UN spokesman Martin Nesirky. "He believes it is the responsibility of leaders to promote harmony and understanding and he deeply regrets expressions of hatred and religious intolerance," Nesirky added.

Today, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton also condemned Iranian Vice President’s remarks.

"The High Representative is deeply disturbed by racist and anti-Semitic statements made by Iranian First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi at the UN International Day against Drug Abuse," Ashton stated. Ashton added that such statements are “unacceptable” and reiterated EU’s commitment to “combating racism and anti-Semitism.” 

Iran VP Under Investigation

By Nader Uskowi

Iran’s presidential office today came in defense of Ahmadinejad’s embattled First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi. Iran’s judiciary had announced last week that it had begun an investigation into the corruption allegations against Rahimi who has denied the charges and has said that he intends to remain Ahmadinejad’s principle deputy throughout his term in office.

The judiciary is run by Sadeq Larijani, the brother of Ali Larijani, the influential speaker of Majlis. Any serious investigation and eventual trial of Rahimi could make the growing infighting within the Islamic Republic’s political establishment very ugly.

The judiciary’s announcement on Rahimi’s investigation came days after Ahmadinejad unceremoniously dumped his foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki while he was on a foreign mission. Mottaki is thought to be close to Larijani brothers.

On Sunday, former foreign minister Mottaki was praised in a statement by 260 parliament members — all but 30 — in a direct slap against Ahmadinejad.