The following is information that was given by former information ministry and leadership house employees who have fled the country. I listened to and compiled the text.
COMPILATION by Mohsen Makhmalbaf
TRANSLATED BY ANTIMULLAH.COM (with edits and comments)
Alan Note: Makhmalbaf was a dyed in the wool supporter of the Mullah revolution and Velayat Faghih regime (Jurisprudence of the Clergy founded by Ayatollah Khomeini back in 1979) and not that long ago that he flip-flopped and turned against them. He now strongly promotes the Mir Hossein Moussavi Green movement, which DOES NOT CALL FOR A REGIME CHANGE but simply a shuffling around of the clerical players with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Ahmadi-Nejad in the scope sights.
While the enemy of my enemies is my “friend” for now, this distinction of background and long standing mind sets is important for analysis and evaluation of Makhmalbaf’s motives.
Note: his access to the information provided by the former (MOIS) and Khamenei Household/Secretariat employees mentioned above comes from his having been “an insider” so to speak and not a matter of “pulling teeth” or investigation to get the details.
ALSO important to this information is the financial background of Khamenei in his hometown of Mashhad, where (Saint) Imam Reza’s shrine and charity dominate. He lived in a miserable one room hovel in the poorest, worst part of the city suburbs. Once a month the Imam reza charity would send him a “care package” of basic foods on which he and his family would subsist until the next package.
He earned a meager amount of cash by BEGGING for alms. Attaching himself to a burial procession taking a coffin to its gravesite, he would importune the mourners with unrequested prayers and praises (for corpse he did not know – nor care about) till they gave him some coins to get rid of him.
Now he and Mojtaba have become the Roman Emperor Caligula (BOTH ADORE THEIR HORSE) and Nero of Iran.
Introduction
Khamenei is an individual who has had the most effect on the public and even personal lives of the Iranian people after the Shah and Khomeini. He is able to gain the most information about people via different informational paths, but not very many people are aware of his family, home, contacts, personal likes and method of operation. This avid secrecy has been a intentional product of his own desire and those surrounding him. Living in secrecy has produced a holy charisma for his supporters and fearful figure for the people. The following text attempts to introduce the real Khamenei through first hand sources. This introduction avoids the current hatred surrounding him or the obsession of his supporters.
Khamenei’s Daily Routine
Rise at 4 a.m. for prayer.
Meet from 6 to 6:30 with his chief of staff, Hejazi.
Meet with Vahid, assistant operations manager of the Leadership House, from 6:30 to 7:00.
Meet with Mojtaba, his second son, from 7 to 8 three times a week. Mojtaba teaches at the Ghom Religious Center for about 150 days of the year, but otherwise meets with his father every day for the other 150 days.
Review of security, economic and political files from 8 to 10:30.
Midday nap and rest from 10:30 to 12.
Public prayers and lunch from 12 to 1.
Emergency meetings take place from 1 to 3. These meetings vary each day and are for unpredicted turmoil.
(Alan Note: No emergency may interrupt his regular schedule!)
Personal business is taken care of from 3 to 5.
Special meetings take place from 5 to 8. A description of these meetings is described in the weekly and monthly routine section.
Dinner is served from 8 to 8:30.
Listening to eavesdropping audio from 8:30 to 9.
Retire for the evening at 9.
Khamenei’s Weekly Routine
Meetings with military and revolutionary leaders on Sunday afternoon. (Equivalent in Iran to our Tuesdays)
Dinner with the president on Monday. (Our Wednesday)
Meeting with personal economic advisors, his brother Hassan, his son Mojtaba, Mirmohammadi, and Trade Minister Shariatmadari on Tuesday morning.
Dinner with Hashemi Rafsanjani on Tuesday.
Meeting with members of the Guardianship Council on Wednesday afternoon.
Dinner with fundamentalist cleric Janati on Wednesday.
Monthly Routine
Meeting with the head of the Parliament.
Meeting with the head of the judicial system.
Meeting with religious advisors who come from Ghom, such as Moghtadaei and Yazdi.
Meeting with other advisors.
Khamenei’s Personal Preferences
Food:
Doctors had advised caviar and red spotted fish from the Larieh River for him, but these have gradually become personal favorites. Caviar is sent to him by the Friday Imam of Rasht. Delicate bird meat is sent to him by Haeri from Shiraz. Ostrich (farms have flourished in Iran as a meat source) and other delicate bird meat is consumed for cholesterol control. In order to ascertain that Khamenei’s food is not poisoned a device has been purchased from the United States, priced at $500,000, that will test the food by adding a certain product. The cook is also required to taste the food in the presence of the bodyguards before it is taken to Khamenei.
Exercise:
Khamenei likes hiking and horseback riding. He fractured his hand in 78 (believed to be 1378 – Iranian calendar) while riding because he has the use of only one hand. Horses belonging to Khamenei and his son Mojtaba are taken by aircraft when he is traveling to far distances within Iran. Shorter distance travels require the use of three horse trailers.
Horses:
The number adds up to 100 and their value is estimated at over $40 million. The most valuable horse is worth $7 million and is named Zoljanan. Mojtaba’s horse is named Sahand. There are two stables for the horses, one in Mashad’s Malekabad Garden which is approximately 10,000 square meters in area and holds 70 horses. The other is located in the Lavasanat region, is approximately 3,000 square meters in area and holds 30 horses.
Gatherings:
He gets together with Rashed Yazdi, the cleric who tells him dirty jokes. (Karim Shiraei used to do the same thing for Nasseredin Shah, Qajar Dynasty monarch) with whom Khamenei has the closest of empathy. This is a humorous pastime for Khamenei, as well as getting a feel for the pulse of the nation and personal release. Vahid Haghanian and Mohammadi Golpayegani are also present at these “gadeh” (foul mouth) gatherings. Janati is sometimes invited, during which time he is picked on by Rashed Yazdi. Mojtaba hates these gatherings because he has no influence among that group. Rashed Yazdi also uses this time, and in Mojtaba’s absence, to mention economic and political matters and ask for favors for other people.
Reading:
Khamenei does not have much time to read due to the high volume of files and news that he must read. Ever since he was president, he always complained that the drawback to the presidency is that it does not provide ample time for reading. But he somehow found the time to read book published about the lives of other presidents and leaders. He is most interested in the Qajar way of life, particularly that of Nasseredin Shah. He has read all the books published about him, as well as anything published about the Shah and his family (referring to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi).
Pipe Collection:
Khamenei smoked cigarettes originally. Upon becoming president and the prestige that followed, he quit smoking. He did not want any pictures printed showing him smoking. At that time, when he and Prime Minister Moussavi were closer, they both decided to quit smoking and never touched another cigarette. However, he kept the pipe from that time and has one picture showing him smoking a pipe. His tobacco is specially made and his pipe collection numbers over 200. All the rumors surrounding the fact that he smokes opium are apparently fabricated. However he ordered poets close to him who did smoke opium to be left alone; poets such as Ali Moalem, Shahriar and Sabzevari. He even ordered Shahriar’s opium to be provided to him and taken to his house. The value of his pipes is estimated at $2 million. The most expensive one is valued at $250,000 and is 300 years old. The pipe handle is made of gold and set with jewels. Some of his pipes have been gifts made by other world presidents and leaders and their names are on the boxes.
Ring Collection:
Khamenei’s ring collection consists of 300 rings, three of which have been presented to him by the Ghods Holy Region. The most expensive of these rings has been valued at $500,000 and contains the oldest agate in the world. These collections are held at the Leadership House.
Alan note: there is one ring which he does not own, but he would love to. It is a ring owned by a friend of mine who was given it by the King Of Yemen, Imam Mohammad El-Badr to save it from being lost in the Soviet bombing attacks in North Yemeni mountain refuge on the Imam/King, descended from Prophet Mohammad’s son-in-law Imam Ali and his son Zeyd, who along with Imam Ali found refuge in Yemen during the Caliphate struggles. And the now-gone Zeydi ruling dynasty of Yemen.
Imam El-Badr informed the recipient of the gift that as he was travelling back to Iran, a Shia Moslem country, the ring given by the Prophet Mohammad to his son-in-law would thus be in safe in his hands. In Christian terms this equals a ring worn by Jesus.
Cane Collection:
Khamenei’s cane collection contained approximately 170 antique canes until a few years ago and was valued at $1.2 million. The most expensive one is valued at $200,000 and was acquired last year. He sends a cane, ring or “aba” (the cloak worn by clerics) as gifts during special occasions. Before the recent elections of 1388 (Iranian calendar) during which Mirhossein Moussavi was candidate 170, Khamenei visited Moussavi’s father and presented him with a cane, which was taken as approval for his son’s candidacy. He presented an “aba” to Taheri, the Friday Imam of Isfahan of the time, at the beginning of his Supreme Leadership and after Khomeini’s death. The reason for this gift was that Taheri had been heard to say that Khomeini had said Khamenei was suited for leadership during Khamenei’s trip to India. It was these words that prompted the Council of Experts to vote for Khamenei. The video pertaining to these words and the Experts is available on YouTube.
He usually gives gifts of gold coins to the poets and artists who support him. He also sends them checks signed by the Supreme Leadership office. Every once in a while poets who support the regime are invited to the Leadership House and given tokens of appreciation. (This practice was common during the Qajar dynasty, particularly during the reign of Nasseredin Shah.)
“Aba” (Cloak) Collection:
Khamenei’s “aba” collection totals 120 and is worth more than $400,000. The most expensive one is worth $30,000. However his personal favorite is a white one which he often wears. All the “aba”s are made of camel hair.
Other Preferences:
The rumor that he played the “tar” or “setar” (both string instruments) in his youth are apparently false, but he did like music and listened to classic Persian music. He liked Shajarian’s voice, but no longer listened to him and hates him because of his political views.
Since becoming Supreme Leader and most recently he has spoken out against music and has condemned it on television many times.
He ordered radio and television to decrease music broadcasts in 1388 (Iranian calendar) in order to satisfy his most ardent religious supporters.
He had purchased an used red Volkswagen in his youth and would never have believed that people would be reprimanded because of the color of their car during his leadership.
Rayshahri had prepared a report on Khamenei’s past for Khomeini in which he mentioned that he had two “sigheh” (temporary) wives. These two wives live in Mashhad.
Poetry:
Khamenei loved poetry from his youth and continues to do so. He would appear in Mashhad’s Poetry Society for many years and has written poems himself as well. He loves to be the subject of poems so that he can bestow tokens of appreciation. Ali Moalem and Sabzevari are two religious poets who are constantly reciting poetry for him. He gets information on the problems of artists through these poets. He had seen Mirshakaak when he first became leader, even though Mirshakaak suffered from manic attacks and had said something offensive to him once.
Khamenei invites poets to the Leadership House several times a year and organizes poetry reading nights. When he first became president, he asked Akhavansaless, who knew him very well, to write a poem pertaining to the revolution. Akhavansaless answered that “the artists are in power and not with the powerful”. This sentence upset Khamenei so much that he ordered Akhvansaless’s salary to be deferred, therefore causing Akhavansaless to be unemployed. Gheysar Aminpour mentioned this fact in the memorial book for Akhavansaless entitled “The Leafless Garden”.
Khamenei fervently hated Shamloo and always spoke of him with distaste, but he never had the guts to arrest and punish him because he was afraid of a bad reputation for himself. He has read a lot of material having to do with kings who treated poets badly. He has used Lenin’s sentence: “If an idea is not supported by art it will die” in quite a lot in his speeches. His love of poetry is to the extent that if he had not become a cleric he definitely would have become a poet.
Even though he professes to be an avid poetry reader, he makes unforgivable mistakes. A young poet once read a poem for him and he asked her whether it was her own. She responded that it was Sohrab Sepehri’s poem. Sepehri is so well known in Iran that every elementary school student is familiar with his work.
Khamenei’s Relationship with His Wife and Children:
Khamenei’s wife is called Khojasteh and is completely under his influence. She also uses her brother’s powers. The Oil Company Hospital was completely taken over once when Khojasteh wanted to have her stomach liposuctioned. Khojasteh has also had colon surgery twice because of inflammation. Mojtaba, their second son, has great influence over his father, but uses his mother to infiltrate different circles. Khojasteh is currently 67 years old (in 2009). One of her brothers was in contact with the Marxist-Islamist Mujaheddins and fled to Sweden.
Alan Note: The Mullah regime has over the years infiltrated their sworn enemy the MEK (Mojaheddin-e Khalgh) in Europe and basically split it into two. One remains the sworn enemy and the other, a shill group, runs interference inside the MEK for the Mullahs.
She has three other brothers who are involved in large businesses (envy of Oba-Hussein’s corruption). Hassan, one of her brothers, is the head honcho at Islamic Republic Television company. He controls the purchasing of Sony television and cameras which is really not that much, perhaps $50-60 million annually. However public purchases amount to $500-600 million annually of which Hassan receives a 7% commission.
The Sony franchising rights originally belonged to an Iranian in Dubai, but due to the threats he received, he willingly gave up those rights.
Despite having a very comfortable life, Khojasteh is always worried that outsiders not see her life as a simple one. She has three ladies in waiting and never leaves the house to go to the hairdresser; someone is always brought in for her. She loves to get massages and has a female Korean masseuse.
Batool, Khomeini’s wife, always hated her and believed she was as proud as her husband. She felt that Khojasteh became the Religious Jurisprudent for the women when her husband came into that position. Khojasteh originally did all the cooking herself, but has not been able to for the past seven years. They now have an elderly man, Seyed, who does all the cooking.
Khojasteh is responsible for choosing all the potential brides and grooms in the family. She first chooses some candidates who belong to families close to the Leadership House or who are members of the religious community and gets to know them better through socializing. The next step is for the Information Ministry’s Special Division to complete its background check. Afterwards Khamenei’s sons and daughters get to choose one of the candidates that have been approved by their mother and the Supreme Leader.
These marriages have sometimes encountered major problems. Mojtaba’s wife, the daughter of Haddad Adel, was unable to have children and this nearly brought about a divorce. In Massoud’s case, whose wife is the daughter of Ayatollah Kharazzi, differing political views have taken the marriage to the brink of divorce and Soosan Kharazzi has returned to her father’s house.
Everyone is extremely respectful of one another in the presence of each other. The children do not address their father as dad or father, but “sir”, “Supreme Leader” or “Grand Ayatollah”. Khamenei also refers to his children with respect: the sons are addressed as Mr. Mojtaba, Mr. Massoud, Mr. Maysam. He rarely mentions his daughters in society and only speaks of them in private gatherings, at which time he addresses them as Miss Bashri or Bashri Sadat and Miss Hedi or Hedi Sadat.
If the children are asked about their father and the method of his election by the Council of Experts, they always say, in particular Mojtaba, that the Experts discovered their father. He is the replacement for the twelfth imam and God gave the Experts and clerics the power to discover him.
Alan Note: Pure fabrication. Khamenei conspired with Khomeini’s son Ahmad (forbidden to succeed his father by Khomeini’s decree) to have the upstart and low ranking cleric “selected” by a Khomeini signed and sealed “declaration” as his heir, while the revolution founder was in a coma and possibly already dead. The edict, (intended to bypass the ban and have Ahmad co-ruler with Khamenei) was produced with Ayatollah Khomeini’s official seal and a forged scrawl declared he wanted Khamenei to succeed him.
Almost immediately after this, Ahmad Khomeini was strangled in the same hospital where his father had been forbidden visitors to hide his comatose or even dead status to remove the only other witness to this conspiracy. A third party, who might have overheard something was appointed Keeper of Khomeini’s tomb with access to huge revenues and contributions.
This same respect is followed by the employees and managers of the Leadership House. Whenever they come back from visiting the Leader, they are blessed by others in the office. Nobody in the office is allowed to say they are going to visit the Leader. They always say they are being presented or are going for a religious visit. Hejazi, his chief of staff, is most adamant about following this protocol.
Public Prayers at the Leadership House:
Public prayers are held at the Leadership House 3 to 4 times a week. Approximately 15 people have the honor of participating in these prayers and standing behind Khamenei, 10 of whom are the managers at the Leadership House and are permanent figures. The other 4 or 5 people are guests. Being invited to these public prayers are highly valuable.
Business owners who are having trouble experience a turnaround in their business when they go to prayers and receive a tip from the Leader. These business owners are willing to pay for the privilege of being present at public prayer in advance to the tune of 500 million tomans (roughly $500,000), which is paid to Hejazi or Mohammadi Golpayegani.
The 500 million tomans are quickly made up in their businesses once they receive the tip from the Leader. Therefore, the guests present at the Leader’s public prayer are usually members of the Bazaar. Members of the security forces who are looking to receive promotions in their jobs are also eager to be present at these prayers.
Khamenei’s Relationship with His Followers:
Whenever Khamenei goes to Mashad and takes a piece of cube sugar from the dish, that cube sugar dish becomes blessed. Upon passing a route on his way to a religious visit, people plant kisses on the path of his footsteps. Videos of these actions are available on YouTube. It makes one wonder how these followers will react if they observe him in one of his gatherings with Rashed and the enjoyment he experiences at the dirty jokes Rashed tells him. Will the cube sugars and their dish still be as blessed?
Khamenei always repeats one sentence: “You may do this, just as long as the people do not find out.” Everybody who hears this sentence knows that Khamenei’s power is completely engulfed in keeping secrets from the people about himself and his office.
Before that particular Friday prayer that took place one week after the elections, Khamenei did not accept responsibility for anything and everyone was under the impression that he kept the balance of power among different sectors. But that Friday prayer changed everything and Khamenei’s predetermined role in political events and his sins in oppressing became obvious.
Khamenei’s Personal Bodyguards:
Khomeini’s bodyguard team consisted of 200 people, but the team protecting Khamenei is (closer to) 10,000. (A reminder of the Shah’s Javidan (Eternals) Guard whose number was never reduced.) The two key figures among these people are Dinshoari and Hossein Jabari. These two men stand guard outside Khamenei’s room and are the only two people allowed to bear arms in his proximity. They have been his main bodyguards for 30 years. The following are the different bodyguard teams throughout the years:
1. Khosravifava – leader of the Janbazan team
2. Asgharzadeh – Parliamentary member
3. Motevalian – Revolutionary Guard
4. Ramezani – Guard Intelligence
5. Nejat – Security Council
6. Chizari – current leader of the bodyguard team
The close, inner circle consists of 200 people who witness up close the lifestyle, travels and life in the palaces. The people in this circle each have homes in excess of one billion tomans (about $1 million – a huge amount in Iran).
The (rest of the 10,000) ones who consider Khamenei to be holy and live as peasants themselves are not allowed within this circle for fear of conflict. None of these bodyguards are allowed to marry girls whose fathers are members of this upper level, even if they fall in love. Marriages usually take place within large political families or the religious sector. But the people who bestow kisses upon the footsteps of Khamenei and steal cube sugar from the blessed dish he touched and are willing to sacrifice themselves for him are never worthy enough to marry their daughters.
The bodyguard team designates 500 members to protect the family. The family, consisting of 40 members, are protected by the bodyguard team. Sons and daughters-in-law, sons and daughters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law and sometimes children of the in-laws.
In order to become qualified for the bodyguard team, they must pass three security stages. It takes a long time for someone to qualify for membership in the security team. Salaries of the security team range from $1000 to $12000 per month. When someone enters the security team, they are given assistance to become homeowners in their neighborhood. A company house is also placed at their disposal.
The number of female bodyguards is approximately 2000 within this 10,000 member team and they are rarely recognizable as bodyguards.
Khamenei’s Medical Treatments:
Former Health Minister Dr. Marandi is Mr. Khamenei’s medical coordinator. Physicians are handpicked by Marandi who brings them to Khamenei’s bedside (as was the case very recently when rumors of his death abounded). There is a private hospital in the basement of the Leadership House that has 4 physicians on call 24/7. A mobile hospital accompanies Khamenei on land trips. Air travel affords Khamenei an airborne hospital with two surgery rooms. Khamenei has had 3 surgeries in the past 30 years: hand surgery after an explosion that occurred in the beginning of the revolution, ulcer, and prostate. (Colon cancer still being treated externally).
Whenever Khamenei falls ill, conflicts increase within the Leadership House. People who have committed crimes are fearful of the public punishment they may suffer at the hands of the people. But as soon as Khamenei’s condition improves, they forget all about their misdeeds.
A lady who is the sister of the assistant to the Defense Ministry (sister of Ahmad Vahid Dastjerdi) is an OB/GYN and takes care of Khamenei’s wife, daughters and daughters-in-law.
Depression:
Khamenei has been suffering from depression for many years. Some doctors attribute it to the eavesdropping recordings he listens to before bed time. Since his speeches do not mean anything unless someone says something against him, he is effectively listening to negative things said about him all the time. In order to continue with his system, he continuously listens to conversations that negate him for 20 minutes every night. These conversations have been recorded and are the voices of the public, opponents and even officials; and they lead to the continuation of his depression. He comes to the conclusion every night that the public hates him but then is faced with people in the morning, who show themselves to be his supporters, out of fear or out of the desire to attain wealth or simply to avoid his anger.
Khojasteh, who listens to these eavesdropping audios, often at night, does not have any tolerance for their fake compliments during the day. She has repeatedly voiced the opinion that the Iranian people are liars and fakes.
Khamenei often gets massages. His masseur is a male Iranian physical therapist. The massages began for the hand that has been disabled due to the explosion (an attempt on his life). However, doctors recommended it as a weekly routine after a while as part of his treatment.
Eavesdropping:
After his Leadership began, Ahmad Ghadirian became his eavesdropping coordinator for two years. However, Taeb has been responsible for that matter for the past 15 years. These audios consist of three parts: those of head officials, those of the security officials and those of the public. The security personnel even have their bedroom bugged in order to watch out for any betrayal against Khamenei. The purpose of the public eavesdropping is so that Khamenei can deal with the increasing intelligence of the public. This third type of eavesdropping serves as a form of public poll.
Eavesdropping is handled in two central locations: above Tochal and at the main telephone exchange. A team that is located behind Khamenei’s house on Pasteur Street separates those that pertain to him and prepare a 20 minute tape which he listens to every night; 5 minutes of this tape pertain to social morals. All of Khamenei’s meetings are openly and visibly recorded and he announces this fact to all of them. For example all his meetings with Khatami, Ahmadinejad, Hashemi and other officials are recorded. The key figures in the Eavesdropping Office are Taeb and Hamid Haghanian, Vahid’s brother.
Therefore everyone’s secret dossiers are at the disposal of Khamenei. He is aware of each person’s strengths and weaknesses. But not many people know much about Khamenei, other than perhaps Rayshahri who was responsible for investigations during Khomeini’s time and even investigated Khamenei. In recent years, Hejazi and Mohammadi-Golpayegani have also become aware of everything. Rayshahri was after the religious leadership of the city of Rey (southern, relatively poor, lower class, suburb of Tehran). Khamenei was against it; nevertheless he offered it to him as a form of bribe. Rayshahri was responsible for collecting three types of information about officials for Khomeini: sexual, financial and political.
Political – When Moussavi was prime minister his economic strategies were approved directly by Khomeini. Even though Khamenei was president at that time he did not have the legal power afforded to Moussavi and criticized Khomeini’s support of Moussavi in private meetings.
Financial – Khamenei’s involvement regarding commissions received in the sale of oil was under question.
Sexual – The story of his two “sigheh” wives who lived in Mashad had been discovered, but did nothing to divert Khomeini’s trust toward Khamenei. However these two “sigheh” wives could have been a negative blow to his credibility within society. No other accusations of womanizing were made against him after the revolution and none were seen either.
Khamenei’s Trips:
Khamenei travels 100 days out of 365 days in the year. He travels to Mashad one week in summer, spring at Norooz (Persian New Year in March 20th), and winter to stay at the palace he built in Vakilabad. He spends one week during Norooz at the air force base in Dezfool, Khuzestan which is known for its wonderful weather during that time of the year. He also spends one month in northern Iran, usually in Ziba Kenar, Sari, Ramsar and Bisheh Kenar. He spends every weekend, Thursday and Friday, at the Shah’s Niavaran Palace or Jamshidieh Palace or the Lavasanat Palace.
When Khamenei travels, a chartered plane flies to his destination to deliver reports on the days’ events. The minimum daily expense of Khamenei’s travels amounts to at least 50 million tomans because all the security personnel who must protect him add up to 1200 people and must travel with him. Usually when he is at Vakilabad, a large airplane takes his favorite personal belongings, as well as his horse and that of Mojtaba, to the location. Khamenei sometimes likes to travel like ordinary people. For that reason, a bus was built that cost 500 million tomans, contains two bedrooms and a bathroom, and a kitchen in which Khamenei’s trusted cook, Seyed, could prepare his meals. Security personnel accompany the bus covertly and safeguard it from front and back.
Khamenei’s Houses:
Khomeini’s house in Jamaran measured a tiny 200 square meters. Khamenei’s main house on Pasteur Street measures 1200 meters. This 1200 square meter house is the only one that the public is aware of.
Khomeini lived in a small house in Jamaran or Ghom. However, Khamenei is using all the Shah’s houses that have not been made into museums and has even added on to them. Elementary school students are still reading in their books that the Shah’s teaspoons were made of gold and that his pomp was what caused the revolution.
Khamenei’s house on Pasteur Street contains a bunker that is dug deep into the ground: 60 meters deep. This bunker measures 5000 square meters and is resistant to nuclear power. The elevator alone cost $5 million. Another bunker has been built under the Vakilabad Palace in Mashad. However this bunker will not be resistant to a counter-revolution because if a revolution should take place, Khamenei will flee to Syria or Russia.
Khamenei’s Logistics:
The Leadership House enjoys the following private privileges:
1. One Airbus dedicated solely to his travels.
Alan Note: this was a French built aircraft which had a large number of American made parts and for a long time stood rotting at Toulouse Airport
http://noiri.blogspot.com/2005/10/allah-on-earth-aircraft-grounded.html
2. Two Boeing 707s, one for traveling family and one for traveling bodyguards
3. Five Falcons, two for his personal travels, one for Mojtaba’s travels, and two for family travels
4. Five helicopters, two for Khamenei’s travels, one for Mojtaba’s travels and two for family travels
(even though flying helicopters is prohibited in Tehran, one can constantly hear helicopters in the north of Tehran)
5. Six helicopter pads, one at Mehrabad, one at Abbasabad, one next to the Esteghlal Hotel, one in the Manzarieh region, one in Ghom and one in Lavasan.
6. 17 bulletproof cars, each worth $400,000 and 1,200 other cars.
Managers of the Leadership House:
Montazeri was supposed to replace Khomeini at first. However, speaking out against the killing of political prisoners led Khomeini to disfavor him and sentence him to house arrest. There were also other clerics who played a role in deposing Montazeri and getting Khamenei elected. When Khomeini was dying, some people wanted his Ahmad to replace him. Ahmad was not eager to accept the position. Khomeini used to say that anyone other than Ahmad could be elected as Supreme Leader. He did not want the people to say that the position was inherited, just like the monarchy. Some people used this opportunity to depose Montazeri and elect Khamenei, such as Rayshahri, Hejazi, Mohammadi-Golpayegani and Taeb who was inquisitor for Mehdi Hashemi.
The entire group got key positions in Khamenei’s offices after Khomeini died and Khamenei was “elected”. This group was even against a Leadership Council after Khomeini’s death; a council that would consist of Ayatollah Golpayegani, Ardebili and Khamenei.
The key managers of the Leadership House are Khamenei, his son Mojtaba, Hejazi, Mohammadi-Golpayegani and Vahid. Leadership House employees consist of 500 people in the first rank, 2000 in the second rank and 10,000 in the third rank. In actuality it is not the government, Parliament or Judiciary that run the country, but the Leadership House that controls everything. The Leadership House owns various buildings all over the country.
Basij - From the Point of View of Khamenei:
Khamenei was originally the CEO of the Islamic Republic Party. He still believes that the Basij can be a party for him; a party that can be considered an army. The critics view on the Guard Party refers to this exact issue. He has built a military party for himself with funds from the government and the people.
Alan Note: The original Bassiji were naïve, superstitious village youths who could be relied on to believe anything Khomeini spouted and blindly support him. When they ended up refusingto shoot down other Iranians, they were bolstered up with some 100,000 Arab mercenaries, mostly Sunnis, who delighted in killing non-Arab Iranians. They were sationed in military barracks and lived a lazy life until called into the streets to suppress demonstrators. After a decade or two they adapted to Iranian life and became more reluctant to kill or maim Iranians.
Last year the locals were increased to nearly two million new hires and despite being moved ot cities where they had no relatives, also proved unwilling to hurt their fellow Iranians.
The recent “election” demonstrations against the regime and this increased reluctance forced Mojtaba Khamenei to “hire/import” the worst of the worst, ruthless murderers, felons and criminals he could find in the Palestinian prisons, in groups of five thousand at a time (now about 15,000) with one proviso: they must all be large bodybuilders to instill fear.
Khamenei’s Major Businesses:
-Sugar and rice imports
-BMW import
-Production of sugar in the name of the Ghods Razavi Holy Region
-Investments in Dubai, Germany, Iraq, South Africa, Venezuela, Lebanon, China
But the major businesses are related to oil and gas followed by purchase of military equipment from Russia and China. In order to control his businesses, Khamenei keeps people in the same position for long periods of time. For example, Majid Hedayatzadeh was responsible for selling oil for 30 years and was replaced in 1387 (Iranian calendar) because Noorizadeh had leaked his name.
The other is Mr. Soori who is responsible for transporting oil and has been doing it for the past 30 years. Mr. Khamenei placed these two individuals in these positions in 1361 (Iranian calendar). Hashemi Rafsanjani, Khatami and Ahmadinejad wanted to replace them but Khamenei did not accept. The method of operation between these men and the Leadership Office is as follows: Hedayatzadeh would sell the barrels of oil and Soori would transport them; the commission would be deposited into Khamenei’s account.
Iran has sold approximately $700 billion in oil and the (10% net) commission has been deposited into Khamenei’s account through these two men. The third person that Khamenei brought into the Oil Ministry for this job was his brother Hassan who was originally working in the Censor Division of the Guidance Ministry, but was brought into the Oil Ministry to watch over his brother’s interests.
Khamenei’s Palaces:
Pictures on Google show Khamenei’s palaces. They consist of the Lavasanat Palaces that belong to Khamenei, Mojtaba, Mohammadi-Golpayegani personally. The Jamshidieh Palace which belonged to Ardeshir Zahedi and is where Khamenei goes hiking. The Fishghoola Palace in northern Iran. The Palaces in Mashad’s Malekabad Gardens and the surrounding gardens measuring at 300,000 square meters. Niavaran Palace. Palaces on the Latian Dam which belonged to the Shah.
Khamenei’s Wealth:
Khamenei became president in 1360 (Iranian calendar). He appointed Hedayat and Soori to sell oil and did not replace them until 1385 (Iranian calendar). He appointed Mohsen Rafighdoost to purchase arms in 1362 (Iranian calendar). He discovered the value of real estate in 1370 (Iranian calendar) and began forcibly taking land through the Regiment of the Imam’s Orders and the Foundation for the Less Fortunate.
Hassan Khamenei was appointed to control Hedayat and Soori beginning in 1363 (Iranian calendar). Mohammadi-Golpayegani was appointed to control Rafighdoost and Heydari in the Defense Ministry. Mr. Lolachian was appointed as real estate manager and later became related to Khamenei by marriage. He allowed his children to get involved in the businesses in 1376 (Iranian calendar). He disengaged himself from his businesses in 1384 (Iranian calendar) and began taking a salary directly from the government.
This is the same money that somehow disappears in the country’s budget and prompts Karoubi to ask Ahmadinejad of the whereabouts of one billion tomans. The total wealth of Khamenei and his family amounts to $36 billion. Khamenei’s personal wealth amounts to $30 billion with the remaining $6 billion belonging to his family.
Cash Assets:
$22 billion of the $36 billion was in the form of currency and located in Iran. The elections prompted Khamenei to send a major portion of the money out of the country to Syria via Turkey. The path of the money was discovered on its way to Syria via Turkey and was confiscated in Turkey. Khamenei was worried that should the regime fall, the money would remain blocked in Iran.
The Iranian government is struggling to retrieve this money from Turkey. There is no doubt that this money has been confiscated in Turkey but the question remains as to why this money did not go directly to Syria by plane? Perhaps there was fear of destroying the plane once its contents became known. The remaining currency is $3.5 billion of which $1.5 is in the form of emeralds (Crown Jewels), $1 billion is in gold and approximately $1 billion is in dollars.
Bank accounts: other than the $22 billion in currency, $10 billion is in bank accounts as follows:
-$1 billion in Russia
-$1 billion in Syria
-$1 billion in China
-$1 billion in Venezuela
-$2 billion in South Africa
-$2 billion in London
-$2 billion in various other countries
Aside from $22 billion in currency and $10 billion in bank accounts, the remainder of the wealth is in the form of real estate and bank shares worth $4 billion and is distributed as follow:
-$2 billion shares in international markets
-$1 billion in South Africa
-$500 million in Syria
-$500 million in Venezuela
Where did Khamenei get this $30 billion wealth? 12% is from commission from the sale of oil. $2 billion is from real estate. $6 billion is from weapons. $10 billion comes from what Ahmadinejad paid him in these four years.
Khamenei’s Religious Businesses:
-Imam Reza Holy Region in Mashad
-St. Massoumeh Holy Region in Ghom
-Shahr-e-Rey Holy Region in southern Tehran
All profits and investments from these Holy Regions are under the control and consultation of Khamenei. Tabassi and Rayshahri are his partners in Mashad and Shahr-e-Ray respectively.
Mojtaba Khamenei:
He was born in 1348 (Iranian calendar) and is Khamenei’s second child. His personal preference, other than politics and economics, is horseback riding. His love of riding is so great that anytime he travels to Vakilabad in Mashad, his horse is transported there by a large plane.
Mojtaba is the most politically active of Khamenei’s children. He has been serving in the same capacity that Ahmad Khomeini did for his father. He went to war in his youth and met Taeb there. (Taeb is the one responsible for the election coup d’etat and eavesdropping for Khamenei). His wife is the daughter of Haddad-Adel. The method of marriage in Khamenei’s family is such that Khamenei’s wife chooses a few candidates, the Ministry of Information does a background check, Khamenei approves and the children then choose one of the candidates.
This selection carries a great many political considerations. Bonding in marriage with the children of Khamenei is a form of partnership in Iranian power. That is why love has almost no meaning. Mojtaba was having marital difficulties for a while due to the fact that they could not conceive, and even wanted to take another wife, but the problem was solved in London.
The One Million Pound Sterling Baby:
Mojtaba, along with 20 bodyguards, his wife, three ladies-in-waiting, his mother-in-law and two ladies-in-waiting all took off for London. They rented out half of the Sheraton Parklane Hotel for two months until his wife was able to bear a son, Bagher, for him. This child accrued one million Pounds Sterling in expenses: the chartered airplanes, hotel bill, medical expenses, and salaries of the bodyguards and ladies-in-waiting. Wives of the officials who are aware of this event always refer to Bagher as the one million pounds sterling child.
Relations Between Mojtaba and Haddad-Adel (Father-in-Law)
Mojtaba is Haddad-Adel’s son-in-law which affords Haddad-Adel the opportunity to become the Leader of the Islamic Council. This family relation gives way to not only political power, but many economic partnerships. During Khatami’s presidency, Irancell (phones) was put out for bids. Mojtaba wanted South Africa to win the bidding because he would receive a commission from them. However, Turkcell won the bid in a free bidding. Mojtaba is upset and calls Khatami to tell him that South Africa should win. Khatami tells Soleymani to act according to the law. Soleymani announces that Turkcell is the true winner of the bid.
Mojtaba calls Haddad-Adel and asks him to do something. Haddad-Adel tells Tavakoli that national security will be breached if Turkcell should win. Many articles were written against Khatami’s regime, but that did not concern Khatami. When Ahmadinejad came into office, the first thing he did was to turn over the contract to the Defense Ministry and MTN as a joint venture. This allowed Mojtaba to receive his commission from South Africa and deposit the money into his account in London. (Please refer to Tavakoli’s and Soleymani’s speeches regarding this matter on the Baztab website.)
Mr. Haddad tells Mojtaba that he wants a return favor: ask Mayor Ghalibaf for a residential/commercial permit for my land. This land is located on the north side of Resalat Square, measures 300,000 square meters and is a warehouse. The land was worth 200,000 tomans per square meters, but was transformed into a residential/commercial property after Ghalibaf gave the permit, causing it’s worth to escalate to 3 million tomans per square meter. Ali Eshraghi (the Imam’s grandson) voices his disagreement, but upon Mojtaba’s advice, via Ghalibaf, Eshraghi is cut in.
Currently Mojtaba receives 2 tomans for each Irancell phone call and 1 toman for each SMS. This is separate from the commission he receives in his account from South Africa. He also receives $1 per barrel for each barrel of oil that is sold to China and India.
The British government confiscated 1.6 billion pounds sterling of money that was going into Mojtaba’s account because the source was unknown. (Alan: Since restored under pressure and threats).
Please refer to articles pertaining to Saeed Emami written by the BBC referring to the chain murders as well as the 30% commission given to Mojtaba for the purchase of weapons from Russia.
It has been seen that Mojtaba refuses to drive in the embassy’s Mercedes which is taken to the plane for him when he lands and asks for a simpler car. He has also been known to spend the night at the homes of embassy employees instead of a hotel. This is so he can hide the thousands of secrets he and his family have from the people.
Mojtaba’s Wealth:
$3 billion
-$2 billion in London, Syria and Africa
-$700 million in real estate in Syria, Venezuela and London
-$300 million in currency (emeralds, gold and dollars)
Mojtaba replaced Hassan Khamenei in oil from 1376 (Iranian calendar). He has received approximately $1 billion in commissions so far from the purchase of gasoline – between $5-15 from each ton. He currently owns a 500,000 square meter piece of land in the northern part of Mashad. The largest shopping center and apartment complex in Mashad belong to Mojtaba and everyone knows about it. He has received 200,000 square meters of land from Ghalibaf located in the hills of Abbasabad. He got the permit from Ghalibaf to build a 150,000 square meter shopping center in Ekbatan, which brought him $500 million in profits.
How Mojtaba and Saeed Emami Met:
Khamenei’s wife, Mojtaba, Saeed Emami (also responsible for Canadian-Iranian journalist Zahra Kazemi’s death in custody) and his wife and several bodyguards take a three week trip to London on an Islamic Republic Falcon so that Mojtaba could have stomach surgery and his mother could have colon surgery. It was on this trip that the two got closer and made preparations for the chain murders. This has been mentioned in the memoirs of Saeed Emami’s wife.
Upon their return from London, Mojtaba and Saeed Emami become good friends, laying the foundation for the chain murders beginning in 1373 (Iranian calendar). Saeed Emami was responsible for internal security in the Information Ministry. Since hatred of Mr. Khamenei had started forming from those years. First they killed the street ruffians in Tehran. Mohseni-Ezhei and Mr. Khoshbakht (Mostafa Khamenei’s father-in-law) would approve the death sentences and Information employees would carry them out.
Mojtaba and the Chain Murders:
On the second floor of Mr. Khamenei’s offices on Pasteur Street are two rooms that are used by Mojtaba for his meetings. It was in those rooms that he told Saeed Emami to do the same thing to the intellectuals as he did to the street ruffians. Saeed Emami demands written authorization. Hejazi, Khamenei’s Chief of Staff, writes a letter to Dori-Najafabadi who was Information Minister at that time, and asks him to agree with Mr. Emami’s requests.
Afterwards, when Dori-Najafabadi was accused of being involved in the murders, he declared that should he be arrested, the letter that he had received from Hejazi and was currently hidden, would be printed which proved that the chain murders were by order of Mojtaba. As a result, the chain murders could not be pinned on Dori-Najafabadi, but Mojtaba could not be implicated either.
Until his arrest, Saeed Emami would meet Mojtaba every Sunday afternoon from 4 to 7 in those two rooms above the offices of the Leadership House. Mostafa and Mojtaba each have 16 bodyguards, but only two are visible.
Mojtaba has studied religious apprenticeship and often teaches it in Ghom. When he is teaching, 8 apprentices serve as his bodyguards.
Alan Note: Mojtaba has allegedly regularly participated in violent interrogations of opposition street demonstrators and also has tortured, raped and reportedly killed many of them himself!
Hello.
ReplyDeleteinteresting info. I question the Boeing and Airbus thing though. Considering the fact that no western planes are being sold to Iran.