Date: March 3, 2002 - Following the Trials of Mostafa Tajzadeh and Ayatollah Azarami, Issuance of Their Initial Verdict and Related Developments

Meeting with officials from the Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation and listening to reports from Habibollah Asgaroladi and Seyed Reza Niyari.

Meeting with Abbas Maleki to consult on preparing a draft of a strategic article regarding Islamic economics with the involvement of Ayatollah Fazel Lankarani.

Meeting with Seyed Taha Hashemi following the proposal of new religious ideas that faced significant controversy.

Meeting with three war veterans seeking Hashemi’s assistance to recommend them to the Foundation of the Underprivileged.

Meeting with Jahangir Almasi, a cinema and television actor.

Following the trials of Mostafa Tajzadeh and Ayatollah Azarami, the Governor of Tehran, their initial verdict has been issued, and the matter of incompetence has been raised regarding Seyed Abdulvahed Mousavi Lari at the Special Clerical Court.

Complete Daily Record:

I spent the entire day at home, resting and preparing [the book on accomplishments and] the memoirs of 1983 for publication.

Reports indicated that during the past three days in Palestine, Israel has killed 27 individuals and injured 300 others. In India, the number of Muslims killed in Gujarat has exceeded 300, with complaints from Muslims regarding the army's delay in intervening to calm the militant Hindus.

We had breakfast with the family and then visited a housing construction project and a large park that has been established outside the city on 40 hectares of land next to the Jarahi River, near the Talaghani neighborhood. The site was previously developed by the British. Mr. Niyamat Zadeh and Mr. [Seyed Hassan] Sadaat provided explanations, stating that the park is open to the public. On the way, a teacher accompanied by a group of kindergarten children arrived and complained about the park manager's strict regulations regarding public access, which caused embarrassment for them.

From there, we headed to the Omidieh Base. The commanders gathered and provided a report on the base's status and the Chinese-made F-7 fighter aircraft. We then flew towards Assaluyeh. During the journey, Mr. [Akbar] Turkan and Mr. [Mohammadreza] Niyamat Zadeh explained the gas extraction projects in South Pars and the petrochemical projects in Assaluyeh. Minister [Bijan Namdar] Zangeneh and the directors welcomed us. We went directly to a briefing session.

Mr. [Bijan Namdar] Zangeneh and Mr. [Ali] Najafi Sani provided reports. The South Pars field, which is the largest gas field in the world shared with Qatar, has reserves of 14 trillion cubic meters, accounting for approximately 8 percent of the world's total reserves. Iran's share of this 9,700 square kilometer field is 3,700 square kilometers. The estimated volume of condensate reserves in this field is 18 billion barrels. To date, 14 phases of this field have been defined, and some have been contracted. I visited the first phase, which was initiated by the Marine Engineering and Construction Company, managed by Mahdi, and then continued by Petropars. The project is behind schedule and has faced objections from the General Inspection Organization, which has gone to court. Engineer Shakouri provided explanations. The phases are similar to the Kangan phases. We then visited phases 2 and 3, which are being executed by Total France. I spoke with their French managers and then visited the area where water is drawn from the sea for the refineries; it is quite extensive.

After lunch, prayers, and rest, we visited the Economic Special Zone office. They provided explanations regarding the 10,000 hectares along the coast, expressing grievances about issues with the armed forces concerning the airport and also with the IRGC regarding the Niband Bay. We went to the construction site of two massive docks for the entire region, one for petrochemicals and sulfur exports, which is rapidly under construction. The consulting engineer provided explanations, stating that this work and project are among Mahdi's achievements.

We proceeded to the petrochemical zone. We then attended a meeting with their directors, where each project manager reported on the features of their projects. I also provided an encouraging speech. Near the dock, I conducted a radio-television interview about the importance of South Pars and the region. The total cost of the projects is around five billion dollars, representing a significant transformation in the country's economy, with 110 hectares of land being reclaimed from the sea.

As dusk approached, we flew back to Tehran, arriving home around nine PM. An enormous explosion occurred in West Jerusalem, causing significant casualties.