| Sardar Mohsen Rafighdoost | |
|---|---|
 Rafighdoost in 2015 | |
| Born | 1940 (age 83–84) |
| Place of birth | Tehran, Iran |
| Allegiance | Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps |
| Years of service | 1979–present |
| Rank | Brigadier general |
| Battles/wars | Iran–Iraq War |
| Awards |
 Order of Nasr |
Mohsen Rafighdoust (also Rafiqdoust, Persian: محسن رفیقدوست) is an Iranian multi-billionaire Revolutionary Guards military officer and conservative politician. He is a member of the Islamic Coalition Party.[1]
Background[]
Rafighdoost's background is that of a bazaari, the traditional class of people who work in the bazaar.[2] His father was a fruit and vegetable merchant at the Tehran bazaar.[3]
Military career[]
Mohsen Rafighdoost was the chief of Ruhollah Khomeini's security detail in 1979 during the Iranian Revolution, and helped found the Revolutionary Guards who helped eliminate opposition to theocratic rule in the Islamic Republic.
He is noted for having driven Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the Revolution, from the Tehran international airport into Tehran, during Khomeini's triumphant return to Iran from France, while hundreds of Iranians crowded the road to welcome Khomeini back. He has told journalists this was the most important day of his life and "crowds were all over the car, touching and hanging on to it."[4]
He served from 1982 to 1989 as Minister of the Revolutionary Guards[5] where he quashed internal dissent and obtained weapons from abroad for the Iran–Iraq War.
Rafighdoost said in a 2014 interview that he twice suggested to Khomeini that Iran develop weapons of mass destruction to counter their use by Saddam Hussein. Rafighdoost claimed that both times Khomeini rejected the idea, reasoning that it would be against Islam.[6]
Business career[]
In 1989 he was appointed head of the Mostazafan Foundation or Bonyad-e Mostazafen va Janbazan (Foundation of the Oppressed), "the second-largest commercial enterprise" in Iran behind the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company[3] where he remained until 1999.
Since 1999, Mohsen Rafighdoost has been the Director of the Noor Foundation. The Foundation reportedly owns apartment blocks and "makes an estimated $200 million importing pharmaceuticals, sugar and construction materials."[7]
Controversy[]
In 1995, Mohsen Rafighdoost's brother, Morteza Rafighdoost, was sentenced to ten years imprisonment for bank fraud.[8] After this, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appointed a board of trustees and made the Bonyad-e Mostazafen va Janbazan subject to parliamentary scrutiny.[9]
Rafighdoost's personal fortune is said to be worth the equivalent of many millions of dollars.[2] When asked about his personal wealth, Rafighdoost has responded: "I am just a normal person, with normal wealth, but if Islam is threatened, I will become big again."[3]
References[]
- ↑ Rahnema, Ali (February 20, 2013). "JAMʿIYAT-E MOʾTALEFA-YE ESLĀMI i. Hayʾathā-ye Moʾtalefa-ye Eslāmi 1963-79". Encyclopædia Iranica. Fasc. 5. XIV. New York City: Bibliotheca Persica Press. pp. 483–500. http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/jamiyat-e-motalefa-ii.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kaplan, The Ends of the Earth, (1996), p.201
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Millionaire mullahs by Paul Klebnikov. Forbes, July 7, 2003, accessed 15-May-2009
- ↑ Kaplan, The Ends of the Earth, (1996), p.200
- ↑ Islamic Republic of Iran Crimes Archived 2006-10-26 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Porter Republic of Égyptien Q42 user:mgbtrust0 ®™✓©§∆∆∆€¢£, Gareth (17 October 2014). "When the Ayatollah Said No to Nukes". Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/10/16/when_the_ayatollah_said_no_to_nukes_iran_khomeini.
- ↑ http://rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG821.pdf[bare URL PDF]
- ↑ THE CHANGE AT THE DEPRIVED FOUNDATION A CONCESSION TO KHATAMI?
- ↑ On Mohammad Forouzandeh
Bibliography[]
- A Bazaari's World by Robert D. Kaplan March 1996 Atlantic accessed 15-May-2009, also in (with minor changes) Kaplan, Robert, The Ends of the Earth: A Journey at the Dawn of the 21st Century, Random House, New York, 1996
The original article can be found at Mohsen Rafighdoost and the edit history here.