Mohammad Mokhber

Mohammad Mokhber (born 26 June 1955) is an Iranian politician who served as the seventh First Vice President of Iran from 2021 to 2024, and became acting president following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in the Varzaqan helicopter crash. He is a member of the Expediency Discernment Council since September 2022, and serving as an advisor and aide to the Supreme Leader of Iran since September 2024.

Previously, he was also the head of the Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order committee (EIKO, a.k.a. Setad), an executive at the Mostazafan Foundation, chairman of the board of Sina Bank, deputy governor of Khuzestan Province and CEO of Dezful Telecommunications. During the Iraq-Iran war, he was a medical officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and before the war he was a member of the revolutionary Mansurun Group (see Career).

Mokhber's career from young revolutionary to public official is dogged with allegations of corruption, some of which have led to investigations, regarding privatization of Iran's public assets, insider trading, human rights abuses, and affiliation with Iran's nuclear program (see Corruption and Abuse of Power). These resulted in international sanctions of Mokhber and his affiliate organizations, Sina Bank and Mostazafan (see Sanctions). Mokhber is subject to secondary sanctions (IRAN-EO13876) which limit his global travel and financial liquidity.

As the former first vice president, and with the approval of the Supreme Leader of Iran, Mokhber assumed "the powers and functions of the President" as the temporary acting President of Iran, upon the death of his predecessor, in accordance with the Constitution of Iran. A Temporary Presidential Council consisting of the Acting President, the Speaker of the Assembly, and the Head of Judiciary was formed and a new election date was set for June 28, 2024 with a run-off date of July 5, 2024.

Masoud Pezeshkian won the presidential runoff election in July 2024 and was appointed as the President on 28 July 2024.

Early life and education

Mohammad Mokhber was born in Dezful, Iran, on 26 June 1955 to a clerical family. He possesses two doctoral degrees, including a doctorate academic paper (and an MA) in international law; he reportedly has a doctorate degree in management and economic development planning. He also holds an additional MA in management and a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering.

Career

Mansurun Group (~1971-78) - As a teenager, Mokhber helped lay the groundwork for the Iranian Revolution in his home city of Dezful by joining the Mansurun Group, a guerrilla organization which worked to combat the Pahlavi regime. Through Mansurun, he collaborated with prominent figures in the IRGC and current conservative politicians including Ali and Mohammad Jahanara, Ali Shamkhani, Mohsen Rezaei, Mohammad Forouzandeh, Mohammad Baqer Zulqader and Seyed Ahmed Avai.

IRGC Medical Officer, Telecoms and Governance (~1980-2000) - During the Iran-Iraq war, Mokhber became a medical officer with the IRGC in his home town of Dezful. In the 1990s, Mokhber was the CEO of Dezful Telecommunications, then deputy governor of Khuzestan Province.

Mostazafan Foundation (~2000-07) - In the early 2000s Mokhber's influence expanded considerably when he became Vice President of Mostazafan Foundation, the second largest commercial enterprise in Iran behind the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company and biggest holding company in the Middle East. He was additionally made CEO of the foundation's Trade and Transport organization and placed on the board of two entities apparently linked to the foundation: Sina Bank, 84% of which is owned by Mostazafan, and MTN Irancell. While Iranian corporate records are not available to substantiate MTN Irancell's true ownership, a lawsuit filed by Turkcell in 2004 alleges 51% of the company is owned by Mostazafan. Both Sina Bank and MTN Irancell were involved in international scandals concerning activities that took place during Mokhber's tenure, which contributed to sanctions of Mokhber, Sina Bank and Mostazafan (see Corruption and Abuse of Power, and Sanctions).

Sina Bank - As chairperson of Sina Bank's board, Mokhber oversaw its financing of Iran's ballistic missile and nuclear programs. This led directly to EU sanctions against both Mokhber and Sina Bank in 2010. In that same year, the U.S. also designated Sina Bank as an Iranian government-owned organization. In 2018 the U.S. Department of Treasury also sanctioned Sina Bank (see Sanctions).

Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order (EIKO), Head of Executive Staff (2007–21) - On 16 July 2007, Mokhber was appointed head of the EIKO by Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Mokhber's appointment put him at the head of a powerful conglomerate which controls over $95 billion in assets built on "the systematic seizure of thousands of properties belonging to ordinary Iranians," according to Reuters.

Under his leadership, it executed a number of privatization efforts and played an important role in Iran's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly after Mokhber became EIKO's leader, it established the Barakat Foundation and its subsidiary, the Barakat Pharmaceutical Group. Under Mokhber's EIKO leadership, the Barakat Medical complex promised to develop, manufacture, and deliver 120 million doses of vaccine for $1 billion. It took the money, but only produced 5 million doses (see Corruption and Abuse of Power). As the leader of EIKO, Mokhber also spearheaded multiple privatization efforts, most notably that of 65 subsidiaries of the EIKO and Barakat. In 2019 the U.S. sanctioned Mokhber, EIKO, and its subsidiaries (see Sanctions).

First Vice President of Iran and Member of the Expediency Council (2021–24) - On 8 August 2021, President Ebrahim Raisi appointed Mokhber first vice president of Iran. He is the seventh person to hold the office. Mokhber was the first person selected by former president Ebrahim Raisi after he took office in early August 2021. During his tenure as first Vice President, Mokhber was also appointed to Iran's Expediency Discernment Council, an advisory body to the supreme leader created by Khomenei in 1988.

These appointments placed him in control of multiple facets of the Iranian economy, such as the development of a strategic industrial plan and the promotion of domestic production, and at least one large privatization effort. In January 2023 the expediency discernment council placed him at the head of a seven-man commission tasked with managing the sale of government properties worth approximately $275 million. This commission has incurred allegations of corruption, and generated widespread alarm due to Iran's history of opaque privatization efforts which benefit the security establishment and powerful elites (see Corruption and Abuse of Power).

In addition to economic activities, as first vice president, Mokhber was responsible for the implementation of the Supreme Leader's domestic and foreign policy priorities and conducted diplomatic meetings with public and military officials throughout the region, notably commanders from the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces.

Acting President of Iran (May 2024–July 2024)

On 19 May 2024, after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, Mokhber assumed the role of Acting President of Iran, and was confirmed in his position by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on 20 May, until new presidential elections are held. Mokhber attended Raisi's funeral in Tehran on 22 May. He oversaw a scheduled cabinet meeting, in which he announced about the crash at the end of the meeting, according to the government spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi.

As president, Mokhber made his first public address on 27 May at the meeting of the new Islamic Consultative Assembly which was convened following the 2024 Iranian legislative election, during which he praised Raisi's presidency.

Corruption allegations

MTN Irancell - In 2003, Mokhber played a pivotal role in convincing the parliament to pass a bill establishing MTN Irancell, Iran's second largest telecommunications company, as a joint venture between the South African MTN group and an Iranian partner, Kowsar Sign Paniz. Mokhber is alleged to have leveraged his position in Mostazafan and Sina Bank to help the MTN joint venture obtain the $31.6 billion contract on the condition that the MTN joint venture assist the Iranian government. This assistance included the acquisition of military equipment prohibited under the UN arms embargo at the time. It also allegedly included agreements that the MTN joint venture would use its influence to sway South Africa's vote on Iran's nuclear program with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and would facilitate funding for internationally designated terrorist organizations including Hezbollah and the IRGC.