The Imam’s Executive Headquarters: A Major Economic Plunderer and Rival to the Revolutionary Guards

Its name came to public attention when it entered oil contracts. Neither purchasing a stake in telecommunications companies had garnered such media attention, nor its construction activities, nor when it entered banking operations, nor when it launched the Talia credit mobile phone service. “The Tadbir Economic Development Group”……. however, became headline news when one of its newly established subsidiaries, in its first contract, took over the development of an oil field.

After that, analyses began and “Tadbir Group” with its subsidiaries received media attention. When the ceremony for the construction of the Peace Pipeline in Pakistani territory was held, the name “Tadbir Group” as its developer made the news. Is this news true? Which organization does the “Tadbir Economic Group” belong to? How does it generate income and how does it spend? What companies are the six major holdings that are subsidiaries of “Tadbir Economic Development Group”? You will read the answers to these questions.

So the audience has little information about the activities of this large economic organization. Just as they don’t know much about the activities of the “Barkat Foundation.” The large charitable foundation that is established under the supervision of the Imam’s Executive Headquarters to empower deprived areas and engage in public benefit activities. That too for the benefit of the needy and disadvantaged regions. How much income does “Tadbir Economic Development Group” with all its companies have? How much does “Barkat Foundation” spend?

The start of this headquarters was on the 27th of Farvardin 1368 (April 16, 1989), approximately one month before the death of Ayatollah Khomeini, through a decree to Messrs. Habibollah Asgaroladi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Hassan Sane’i to take possession of all funds and properties of unknown ownership without an owner, inheritance without an heir, and properties related to khums and removal from liability and implementation of Article 49 of the Constitution, and other laws placed under the authority of the Guardian Jurist. The aforementioned individuals had the authority from Ayatollah Khomeini to take any appropriate action in all aspects of selling, storing, and managing them or to place part of these authorities under the Ministry of Economy and Finance. This headquarters was obliged through this decree to spend all resulting revenues on religious matters, the Foundation of Martyrs, the 15 Khordad Foundation, the Housing Foundation, the Relief Committee, the Welfare Organization, the Shahid Rajaii Plan, and the Foundation of the Disabled of the Islamic Revolution and other matters they deemed appropriate. After Ayatollah Khomeini’s death, the leadership of the headquarters was transferred by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 1373 to Mohammad Shareeatmadari, and then in 1376 Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif took this position. Mohammad Makhbar has held the presidency of the headquarters since 1386 (2007) to the present.

The Dual Legal Nature of the Headquarters

The Imam’s Executive Headquarters is organizationally composed of two judicial and economic sections. The judicial section has laws approved by the Islamic Consultative Assembly, and the economic section is organized by decree of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The financial resources of the economic section are provided by the judicial section and its economic activities. In such a way that this headquarters even pays taxes in the field of its economic activities. This is despite the fact that according to Article 44 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iran’s economic system is based on three sectors: government, cooperative, and private, and no other economic sector supervised by the leadership is defined.

The dual judicial and economic nature of the headquarters violates the basic principles of systems based on separation of powers, because in such systems the judicial branch is independent from the legislative and executive branches. According to Article 57 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the legislative, executive, and judicial powers are independent of each other.

Conflict in the Implementation of Article 49

According to Article 49 of the Constitution, the government is obliged to identify and return to their rightful owners or to the state treasury wealth resulting from usury, usurpation, bribery, embezzlement, theft, gambling, misuse of endowments, misuse of tax farming and state transactions, selling of dead lands and primary common goods, establishing places of corruption and other unlawful matters. This ruling must be enforced by the government through investigation, examination, and religious proof.

However, according to Article 8 of the law on the implementation of Article 49 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, approved 1363.05.17 in the second session of the Islamic Consultative Assembly under the presidency of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the court, after confirming that the assets and properties of natural or legal persons are unlawful, if the amount is known and the owner is identified, should return them to the owner. However, if the owner is not identified, they are placed in the possession of the Guardian of the Jurist. If the amount is not known and the owner is identified, they must be reconciled with the property owner, but if the owner is not identified, the khums (one-fifth) of the property must be placed in the possession of the Guardian of the Jurist.

The conflict of this resolution with the implementation of Article 49 of the Constitution is evident.

Parallel Operations with the Organization for the Collection and Sale of State Properties

The law establishing the Organization for the Collection and Sale of State Properties and its charter was approved on 1370.11.7 by the third session of the Islamic Consultative Assembly under the presidency of Mehdi Karroubi.

The duties of the Organization for the Collection and Sale of State Properties, as specified in Article 1 of its establishing law, overlap with the legal duties of the headquarters, which represents a form of parallel implementation of the Constitution.

The head of the judicial branch, Sadegh Larijani, through circular number 100/15658/9000 dated 27/3/1392, transferred a large portion of the legal duties of the Organization for the Collection and Sale of State Properties to the Imam’s Executive Headquarters, and recognized that headquarters as the only authorized body regarding properties related to the Guardian Jurist. Furthermore, he expanded the properties in the possession of the Guardian Jurist to include: properties of unknown ownership, without an owner, inheritance without an heir, smuggled goods without an owner and with an absconding owner, properties deposited in free and special economic zones, confiscated properties, abandoned properties, properties and assets of missing persons, properties related to khums and removal from liability and implementation of Article 49 of the Constitution and other laws in the possession of the Guardian Jurist.

Exemption from Inspection and Audit by the Court of Auditors

The activities of the headquarters, based on note 2 of the Law on the List of Public and Non-Governmental Institutions approved on 1373.04.29 by the fourth session of the Islamic Consultative Assembly under the presidency of Ali-Akbar Nategh-Nouri, which states: (The implementation of the law regarding institutions and organizations that are under the supervision of the Guardian Jurist will be with his permission), is not subject to the oversight of the Court of Auditors except as stipulated in section b of Article 2 of the Law on the Establishment of the Court of Auditors if the Supreme Leader requests an audit.

Furthermore, the headquarters does not fall under any of the provisions of Article 2 of the Law on the Establishment of the Court of Auditors that defines the scope of audit of the said organization.

Tax Exemption

According to Article 78 of the Law on the Addition of Certain Articles to the Law on the Regulation of Some Financial Provisions of the Government (2) dated 1393.12.13 by the ninth session of the Islamic Consultative Assembly to establish educational justice and implement Article 30 of the Constitution and equip all educational institutions with priority given to deprived areas and villages, the Arak Holy Shrine, and those institutions and economic enterprises that are subsidiaries of the armed forces and the Imam’s Executive Headquarters and other executive agencies that had not paid taxes until the approval of this law, became obliged to pay direct taxes and value-added tax.

However, on the other hand, section (4) of Article (2) of the Law on the Amendment of the Direct Tax Law approved 27/5/1394 by the ninth session of the Islamic Consultative Assembly exempts foundations and institutions of the Islamic Revolution that have permission for exemption from Ayatollah Khomeini and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from paying direct taxes.

The regulations on how to handle files on Article 49 were announced on 1379.03.10 by the head of the judicial branch at that time, Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi, based on delegated authorities from the Supreme Leader.

According to a circular dated 1388.05.14 from Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahrudi, the head of the judicial branch at that time, it was decided that rulings and verdicts issued in cases concerning properties in the possession of the Guardian Jurist continue to be issued and announced in the name of the Imam’s Executive Headquarters.

Through a decree dated 1393.06.03, Sadegh Larijani, the head of the judicial branch, and Gholamhosein Mohseni Ajehi, as the head and member of the committee for monitoring and pursuing cases on Article 49 of the Constitution.

In 1386 (2007), with Mohammad Makhbar coming to power, a new approach to social and economic activities for the headquarters was initiated by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, aimed at providing opportunities for people’s participation, especially entrepreneurs, inventors, and the country’s elite, with priority given to the deprived segments of society in disadvantaged regions of the country……………………….!!!!!!!!!!!!!! which not only has not been realized to date but has also led to the execution of many entrepreneurs.

The economic section of the Imam’s Executive Headquarters is not recognized as a public non-governmental institution because it is not listed in the Law on the List of Public and Non-Governmental Institutions approved on 1373.04.29 by the fourth session of the Islamic Consultative Assembly under the presidency of Ali-Akbar Nategh-Nouri.

Part of the organizational structure of the economic section of the headquarters was published by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in 2002.

Barkat Foundation

The income resulting from the implementation of Article 49 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran as well as the income from the economic activities of the headquarters, which are conducted as a private sector, is spent in an institution called the Barkat Foundation.

The Barkat Foundation began its work in Azar 1386 (November/December 2007), two months after Mohammad Makhbar came to power. According to Shahin Shayan Arani, the first CEO of the foundation, “according to the announced policies, work only in villages and remote and deprived areas of the country” is on the agenda of this foundation. The activities of the Barkat Foundation take place in the social sphere. The selected headline for the foundation’s 1394 (2016) annual report was “From Mosque Building to Poverty Eradication.”

Tadbir Economic Development Group

This group is the headquarters’ revenue-generating arm in the form of a private sector. The subsidiaries of the Tadbir Economic Development Group are the following holdings:

• Tadbir Energy Development Group which is a shareholder in the following companies:
  • Pars Oil Company (public shareholding) – 75%
  • Bahman Keno Company (private shareholding) – 80%
  • Persia Industrial and Gas Development Company – 100%
  • Qaid Baseer Petrochemical Production Company (public shareholding) – 80%
  • Northern Drilling Company (public shareholding) – 10%
  • Tadbir Drilling Development Company (private shareholding) – 100%
  • Ray Niro Engineering Company (private shareholding) – 100%
  • Abadan Power Generation Company (public shareholding) – 75%
  • Modabaran Chemistry Chemical Company (private shareholding) – 100%
  • Parsian Refining Tadbir Company (private shareholding) – 80%
  • Pars Bazargan Company (private shareholding)
• Mobin Iran Electronics Expansion Company which is a shareholder in the following companies:
  • Mobin Confidence Development Company which is a shareholder in the following companies:
    • Mobin Company
    • Mobin Mehr Economy Company
    • Iran Telecommunications Company
    • Iran Mobile Telecommunications Company (Hamrah-e Aval)
    • KazInterCom
  • Iranians Net Company
  • Sky Media Company
  • Raymon Media Company
  • Ariatel Telecommunications Development Company
  • Talia Communications Expansion Company
  • Mobin Comprehensive Communications Development Company
  • Mobin One-Kish Company
  • Rahkam Iranians Communications Company
  • Mobin Farvahar Technologists Company
• Tadbir Industry and Mining Development Company
  • Karun Phosphate Products Complex Company
  • Iranian Miners Abadgaran Company
  • Tomorrow’s Industry and Mining Developers Company
• Tadbir Investment Company which is a shareholder in the following companies:
  • Pardis Investment Company
  • Iran and East Leasing Company
  • Iran and East Company
  • Silk Production and Export Company
  • Tus Crop Manager Company
  • Tomorrow’s Tadbir Brokers Company
• Barkat Pharmaceutical Company which is a shareholder in the following companies:
  • Herbi Farmed (medicinal plants)
  • Alborz Persian Medicine Research and Technology Fund Institute
  • Barkat Pharmaceutical Industrial Park
  • Biosan Farmed Company
  • Cell Tech Farmed Company
  • Barkat-tel Company (health call center)
  • Ati Farmed Pharmaceutical Company
  • Shefa Farmed Company (production center for raw materials for all types of antibiotics from living cells) (producing approximately 14% of all essential medicines in the country)
  • Alborz Distribution Company (confiscated) (belonging to Kazem Khosroushahi) (with 9000 covered warehouses)
  • ToludaroDrug Pharmaceutical Company (confiscated) (belonging to Kazem Khosroushahi)
  • Etela Alborz Investment Company
  • Sobhan Pharmaceutical Group
  • Alborz Bulk Raw Materials Production Company
  • Alborz Medicine Company (ready-to-inject syringes named Prefilled)
  • Sobhan Medicine Company (confiscated)
  • Sobhan Oncology Company (Sobhan Oncology drug manufacturing plant in Rasht city) (confiscated)
  • Iran Medicine Company (confiscated)
  • KBC Company (confiscated – one of the giants of drug imports to Iran)
• Tadbir Management Consultants and Strategic Studies Group
• Tadbir Building Development Group which is a shareholder in the following companies:
  • Omid Development and Construction Company
  • Behsaz Building Kashane Tehran Company
  • Future Pars Development Company
  • Tadbir Innovators Development and Construction Company (Farahzad Innovators Development and Construction)
  • Omid Range Hospitality Kish Company
  • Tadbir Construction and Development Company
  • Royal Aria Building Company (private shareholding)

This headquarters in 1388 (2009) participated, along with several other companies, in purchasing a major stake in Iran Telecommunications Company, which caused numerous legal ambiguities and objections. Prior to that, in 1379 (2000), this headquarters purchased 48% of the shares of Pars Oil, which became the largest stock market transaction of that period.

It must be known that the method of confiscation and sale of properties that have been entrusted to the above institution according to Article 49 of the Constitution through government decree has always been debatable. However, looking at the five-year performance of that headquarters regarding the sale of properties and the way auctions are held for the general public is worthy of consideration. Also, confiscation orders in favor of the above organization are only carried out by judicial authorities based on legal and judicial procedures and with the judgment of Sharia judges.

The rumor of announcing the assets of the above headquarters by its property and real estate manager does not align with the reality of the absence of pricing on confiscated properties and assets and the return of some of them to rightful owners by judicial authorities. From the perspective of critics and opponents, the mere continuation of the activities of this headquarters to date, when it had been started with a one-year deadline from the beginning, is itself thought-provoking.

Also, according to those who seek a comprehensive review of the activities of this headquarters, in year 70 (1991) with the issuance of a decree by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for the confiscation of properties of members of the Pahlavi dynasty, Jews, and other minorities, and even Muslim emigrants, without an attorney or representative for property guardianship, the headquarters’ performance took on special conditions. According to them, of approximately ten thousand files pursued in the Executive Headquarters in past years, only 50% were related to members of the former regime, and about 50% were also related to Muslim Iranian expatriates who had left the country and had no affiliation with the former regime and whose entire or partial properties were confiscated solely due to their residence outside the country.

In fact, one of the main causes of this deviation has been the benefit judges who ruled derived from confiscated properties, and in some cases they were accused of purchasing one to five properties at 10 to 30% of their actual value, and it was said that the headquarters officials not only were not displeased with this phenomenon but also encouraged and approved it.

Apart from the serious legal and religious ambiguities and objections raised regarding the appropriation of properties of citizens who for various reasons reside in other countries, the costs of this action for the reputation of the system, through creating a basis for opponents, dissatisfaction against the system, formation of corruption rings and mafia gangs for the appropriation of properties under the cover of Article 49 and the Executive Headquarters, and its consequences, creating pollution in the judicial system, law enforcement, and the Executive Headquarters has been heavy, and a need for review is evident.

Also, the provisions of Article 49 were not only the pursuit of confiscating properties of members of the former regime (though the implementation of even that is considered by critics to be very incomplete and only about one-quarter of all properties throughout the country was carried out), and with the passage of years since the approval of the Constitution, serious work has not been done to implement other provisions, and this doubles the necessity of reconsidering the structure of the entire Executive Headquarters.

• Oil Contracts
  • Contract for the development of the northern part of the shared Yaran field (shared with Iraq): worth $600 million which was concluded within the framework of previous oil contracts with the Persia Oil and Gas Industry Development Company (a subsidiary of the Imam’s Executive Headquarters).
  • Contract for the development of the shared Yaran field and the Kupal and Maron fields: the contract amount was not officially announced, but the Tasnim News Agency had previously announced its value at $2.5 billion. This agreement was signed between Gholamreza Manouchehri, Deputy Director of the National Iranian Oil Company, and Naji Saadoun, CEO of Persia Oil and Gas Industry Development Company (based on Iran’s new oil contract model).

The oil company affiliated with the Imam’s Executive Headquarters is one of eight Iranian companies whose qualifications for oil exploration and production activities have been approved by the Ministry of Oil.

• Economic Section Assets

This headquarters is one of the major economic enterprises in Iran. In November 2013, Reuters news agency, in a series of analytical articles based on official documents and evidence and real estate value assessments, stake values in affiliated companies and institutions, estimated the value of assets under the control of the Imam’s Executive Headquarters at approximately $95 billion.

Previously, the head of the headquarters announced the value of properties and assets under the organization’s control at fifty thousand billion tomans.

On June 4, 2013, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, through Executive Order 13599, imposed sanctions on the Imam’s Executive Headquarters. This sanction was issued in reinforcement of executive orders issued in accordance with the D’Amato Law.

On the basis of this, in the list published on January 16, 2016, the Imam’s Executive Headquarters was not included in the sanction list known as the SDN List and was also not subject to secondary sanctions, but U.S. citizens were obliged to block the interests or benefits of the Imam’s Executive Headquarters.

In July 2010, the European Union sanctioned Mohammad Makhbar, the head of the Imam’s Executive Headquarters at that time, on a list of suspected individuals or legal entities involved in Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missiles, but two years later removed him from the list without any explanation.

In fact, officials of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran have, from the very beginning of their regime’s coming to power, attempted in their own ways to become part of a power mafia and have grabbed at Iran’s wealth and economy in every way they could. Dozens of organizations and institutions such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, the Imam’s Executive Headquarters, … have emerged, each of which has played a role in one form or another in the plunder and pillage of Iran.

With a brief look, it is clear that the Imam’s Executive Headquarters, under the direct leadership of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, is administered and, according to some sources, is Khamenei’s powerful arm.

The capital of this organization is currently $95 billion. $52 billion of this capital is allocated to lands whose owners (officials and authorities of the former royal regime, as well as national minorities and opponents of the Islamic Republic, ….) were and therefore confiscated by the regime, and $43 billion of it is also the value of companies that this headquarters has established or purchased.

As mentioned, the Imam’s Executive Headquarters was established in 1368 (1989) and according to Article 49 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic, approved by the 1364 (1985) session of the Iranian Parliament, was formed. This organization began its activities by order of Ayatollah Khomeini from 1368 (1989). Ayatollah Khomeini in 1368 (1989) through a two-paragraph decree requested Habibollah Asgaroladi (who died some time later) to, with the cooperation of Mehdi Karroubi and Hassan Sane’i, implement an article that was included in the Constitution in 1364 (1985). According to Article 49, the properties and assets of officials and close associates of the former royal regime should be identified and confiscated, otherwise they should be sold and the proceeds distributed to organizations and foundations affiliated with Iran’s leader such as the “Martyrs Foundation,” the “15 Khordad Foundation,” the “Imam Khomeini Relief Committee.” As stipulated in that law, this headquarters only had one year to carry out this work and should have been disbanded by the end of 1369 (1990). But now, after 24 years, it continues to operate. Following Khomeini’s death and Khamenei’s succession to the leadership position, this headquarters, with Khamenei’s cooperation, did not cease its operations. In fact, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, through this action, sought to gain a kind of financial independence from the government using this organization.

The Iranian Parliament four years ago, through a resolution, exempted the Imam’s Executive Headquarters from investigation and inspection of property and financial matters. In this parliamentary resolution, it stated that centers and organizations affiliated with the leadership are not subject to any investigation except with the permission of the leader.

The Imam’s Executive Headquarters, with the cooperation of the Revolutionary Court, has confiscated all lands and properties whose owners are members of religious minorities, opponents of the Islamic Republic, or agents of the former regime, or has forcibly seized and confiscated them. In the aforementioned report, there was mention of the confiscation of properties and assets of Bahais of Iran by the Imam’s Executive Headquarters, in such a way that they were either forced to repurchase their properties from the regime or forced to abandon them.

This organization, as its name suggests, is affiliated with the leadership and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei personally oversees it, and the Parliament and the Court of Auditors, which are defined in Iran’s Constitution as two supervisory bodies, have no authority over this organization.

Most of the officials responsible for this organization were previously among the authorities and ministers of the government or trusted individuals of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Properties and Lands: According to information, this organization owns confiscated properties and lands whose value is estimated at $52 billion. The owners of all these properties and lands are dissidents of the Islamic Republic and national and religious minorities.

Workshops and Companies: The total value of workshops and companies supervised by the Imam’s Executive Headquarters is estimated at $43 billion. This organization, because it has extensive executive authority, operates in all fields from oil and gas, banking, automobile manufacturing, pharmaceuticals to foreign relations.

According to information, four years ago the group of companies “Mobin Confidence Development,” of which the Imam’s Executive Headquarters owns 38% of its shares, purchased 50% of Iran Telecommunications Company for 7,800 billion tomans, and after this transaction, one of the headquarters’ managers was placed in the position of CEO of Iran Telecommunications Company.

Another company in which the headquarters has a stake is Parsian Bank, which owns 25% of its shares. Although according to information, the Imam’s Executive Headquarters, in most companies, owns less than half of the shares, but because it is supported by Iran’s leader, it has the final say in all companies and enterprises it has a stake in.

Most of the organization’s economic production and activities are carried out by a group known as the Tadbir Economic Development Group. Tadbir Group owns six companies, each operating in a specific field. Such as the Tadbir Building Development Group, which is overseen by Mohammad Saidi Kia, former Minister of Construction and Development. Also, the Tadbir Energy Development Group, which is overseen by Gholamhosein Nozari, former Minister of Oil. One of this company’s important contracts is the $600 million contract for the “Yaran” oil field, which was recently concluded between them and Iran’s Ministry of Oil.

Aref Norouzi, a former official of the Imam’s Executive Headquarters, in an interview with the Farsi News Agency in 1378 (1999) stated that the headquarters’ profit rate on the stock market is 800 billion tomans. He added that currently 25% of Parsian Bank shares, 20% of Bank Mellat shares, 15% of Karkafrin Bank shares, and approximately 10% of Iran Khodro shares are from this headquarters.

Reuters agency reported that three years ago the headquarters purchased the “Ray” group of companies. This group consists of 25 different companies, each operating in various fields such as energy, transportation, and banking to ostrich farming. According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the value of “Ray” companies is estimated at forty billion dollars.

The headquarters stated in a report that all of its income from various economic sectors is transferred to another group from the Imam’s Executive Headquarters, called the Barkat Institution, and the Barkat Institution also spends it on production in Iran. Which is actually nothing more than a justification.

In general, it can be said that the Imam’s Executive Headquarters is a shadow government. Because most of the officials of this headquarters are among former ministers and powerful officials of Iran who receive orders directly from Iran’s leader. The Imam’s Executive Headquarters is in fierce competition with the Revolutionary Guards in all economic and political spheres. For this reason, it can be said that the government of Iran has been divided into several poles, each of which seeks its share of income and power in Iran.

The Imam’s Executive Headquarters is one of Iran’s financial-economic cartels. And in the past 5 years, it has been the only rival to the Revolutionary Guards in many economic activities. The Executive Headquarters, because it is affiliated with Khamenei, enjoys very powerful economic and security rents and has been kept away from any oversight and criticism.
The Imam’s Executive Headquarters is a state institution and not a government one that operates directly under the supervision of the leadership. This headquarters was formed by Khomeini’s decree in 1989 with a one-year deadline to identify and confiscate the properties of those affiliated with Iran’s former political regime, but this headquarters, with the issuance of Khamenei’s decree from 1991, in addition to confiscating the properties of members of the Pahlavi family, confiscated the properties of Jews and all those who had emigrated abroad (without the presence and knowledge of their attorneys).

It is regrettable to know:

The head of the judicial branch, through a circular to judicial authorities throughout the country, stated: The Imam’s Executive Headquarters is the only authorized body regarding properties related to the Guardian Jurist.

The text of this circular is as follows:
To judicial authorities throughout the country

In consideration of the decree dated 6/2/68 of His Eminence the Imam (may God’s prayers be upon him) and the decree dated 16/6/1368 of the Supreme Leader and other decrees of His Eminence regarding properties in the possession of the Guardian Jurist, hereby the following matters are announced to courts and prosecutor’s offices for appropriate action:

1 – Given that to date no permission has been given by the office of the Supreme Leader for the Organization for the Collection and Sale of State Properties mentioned in Article 3 of the law establishing the Organization for the Collection and Sale of State Properties and its charter approved in 1370, the Imam’s Executive Headquarters is the only authorized body regarding properties related to the Guardian Jurist.

2 – Properties in the possession of the Guardian Jurist include properties of unknown ownership, without an owner, inheritance without an heir, smuggled goods without an owner and with an absconding owner, properties deposited in free and special economic zones, confiscated properties, abandoned properties, properties and assets of missing persons, properties related to khums and removal from liability and implementation of Article 49 of the Constitution and other laws in the possession of the Guardian Jurist.

3 – Courts are obliged to investigate properties left behind from those convicted in files on Article 49 of the Constitution where the ruling was issued in favor of other organizations, but no action has been taken so far to identify, exercise guardianship, and own them, and to issue a supplementary ruling in favor of the Imam’s Executive Headquarters.

Supervision over the proper implementation of this circular is the responsibility of the chief judges of the provinces.

Sadegh Larijani – Head of the Judicial Branch

This headquarters also had a major and essential role in the execution of several major entrepreneurs of the country, including Mr. Mehrafrid Khosravi.

The issue came to light in a way no one would have expected. The advertisement for the sale of properties of the Amir Mansour Aria group in the Hamshahri newspaper coincided with another four-page advertisement by the Imam’s Executive Headquarters across 25 provinces of the country. This simultaneity caused the public to equate the Aria group’s properties with the headquarters’ properties in the media, and even the state television and radio emphasized the start of the sale of the Aria group’s properties across 25 provinces. Apparently, following the publication of confused and incorrect news by Mehr News Agency and the Islamic Republic of Iran’s state television in the 20:30 program on November 14, 1392 (which was also a highly watched program), it was announced that the properties of the convicted 3,000-billion-toman case, namely Mehrafrid Amir Khosravi, have been put up for sale across 25 provinces of the country. Among them, several multi-story buildings were shown in that program, and the program’s reporter insisted on conveying to viewers that these buildings belong to the convicted 3,000-billion-toman case, when in fact none of the buildings shown belonged to the Aria group and might have been among the buildings that the Executive Headquarters put up for sale.
Among the buildings in the headquarters’ property advertisements were properties such as Niagara Cinema, which belonged to the heirs of the late Fardin, and the heir of the late Ali Hatami who held ownership of three units of this cinema, was introduced as assets of the Aria group, and even one media outlet titled “Mehrafrid Khosravi was a partner with Ali Hatami in this cinema.” While part of the property of this cinema belonged to the Executive Headquarters, which was announced in row number 65 of the advertisement. Also, another property opposite the British Embassy, in row 56 of the same advertisement, was introduced as Mehrafrid’s property. In the 20:30 program, many properties with very high figures and prices were attributed to Mehrafrid Khosravi and the Aria group.
Given the practice of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s television during the conduct of the banking corruption case trial, which never agreed to even briefly reflect the defendant’s defenses and his attorney’s statements in a completely biased and one-sided manner, proceeded to publish false, exaggerated and blackening statements against his client and the Aria group. This time too, to some extent manipulation of public opinion and attributing the ownership of dozens of properties across 25 provinces of the country exactly contrary to informing the public, is trying to provide the grounds for misleading people and officials from the facts. In the programs of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s television, there was never any mention of the 17,000 workers employed in the complexes managed by Mehrafrid Amir Khosravi. Interestingly, in an unprofessional move, the 20:30 program tried to convey to viewers the mistaken idea that Mehrafrid used the funds received from banks to purchase urban properties and that these funds, contrary to legitimate objectives, were withdrawn from the production cycle and were spent in the real estate and land speculation markets. While the LC amounts involved in the case were used in the field of reviving previously bankrupt state-owned companies and establishing and launching new production units.

and with the arrangement of emotional media play, while insidiously sidelining a successful entrepreneur and appropriating his property, they continue on this path.