Corruption gnaws at Iran’s wings of power  

Islam Mohamed

Corruption has triggered clashes between Iran’s wings of power. While the Supreme Guide, Ali Khamenei, and his group are leveling blows to President Hassan Rouhani and his so-called reformist camp, the Rouhani-led government is losing influence in the wake of attacks of the Iranian conservatives.

Iran’s conservatives hold influential positions. The two sides have renewed their public confrontations as the country’s general comptroller revealed that $5 billion had disappeared.

The Rouhani-led government handed over $5 billion to those who said they would import basic commodities to bolster Iran’s food security. The comptroller’s report also revealed that some of the funds were used to buy expensive cars.

However, Rouhani denied the accusations attacking the institutions and agencies, which are affiliated with the Supreme Guide, such as the judiciary, religious authorities and the Revolutionary Guard Corps, which are all corrupted and the watchdog agencies cannot say so.

For his part, Ibrahim Raisi, the head of Iran’s judiciary, confronted President Rouhani, accusing him of stating incorrect allegations regarding the comptroller’s report.

Moreover, the Rouhani-led government couldn’t tackle the accusations effectively. Its reaction to the comptroller’s report as if President Rouhani wanted to tell the Supreme Guide’s wing that “We are all corrupt”.

Iran’s central bank governor did not deny the loss of the $5 billion fund. However, he the government had informed the head of the judiciary about that.

It is noteworthy that these issues should have been sorted out in courtrooms. However, the Rouhani-led government considers the head of the judiciary as a foe. The head of Iran’s judiciary is not on good terms with Rouhani, who defeated him in the presidential elections in 2017.