Akbar Hashemi's Memoirs - March 14, 2000 - Key Meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei and Criticism of Reformists’ Response to Saeed Hajjarian's Assassination Attempt

Final session of the interview with Hokoomat-e-Islami magazine.

Report from Masih Mohajeri, social advisor to the President, criticizing the reformists' exploitation of Saeed Hajjarian’s assassination attempt.

Meeting with Seyyed Reza Zavare’i and his grievances regarding the current situation.

Political analysis from Mohammad Sadegh Mahfouzi.

Complaints from Gholamreza Aghazadeh and his request for Ayatollah Khamenei’s greater attention to the realities of society today.

The most important entry in today’s memoir is the one-on-one meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei, during which he raised criticisms of the reformists' conduct surrounding Saeed Hajjarian’s assassination attempt. He also gave a stern warning to Seyyed Mohammad Mousavi Khoeiniha and expressed dissatisfaction with the judiciary officials' pilgrimage to Hajj.

The final session of my interview with Hokoomat-e-Islami magazine, [the official organ of the Assembly of Experts], lasted from 10 a.m. until noon. Mr. Masih Mohajeri, [Editor-in-Chief of Jomhouri-e Eslami], came to report on last week’s session about the press and expressed his criticism of the intense propaganda from the left regarding the assassination attempt on Mr. [Saeed] Hajjarian.

In the afternoon, Mr. [Seyyed Reza] Zavare’i, [legal scholar and member of the Guardian Council], came to express his frustration with the lack of action and disorganization in the Guardian Council and the judiciary. Dr. [Mohammad Sadegh] Mahfouzi, head of the Islamic Society of Researchers, also visited. He mentioned that the society has a thousand members and presented a solid analysis of the current situation. He said both the right and the left have struggled to tolerate your strong personality. The left sees itself overshadowed by your strong leadership, progressive stances, and broad-mindedness, while the right is discontented with your open-mindedness and tolerance. Both sides have played a part in tarnishing your image, but the knowledgeable members of society understand the truth. He suggested countering the cultural attacks from the left and liberals with a modern narrative and offered to publish a journal to this end.

Mr. [Gholamreza] Aghazadeh, [head of the Atomic Energy Organization], came and reported on the progress of major projects within the organization. He expressed concern about the political, economic, and cultural conditions in the country. He believes that the Supreme Leader needs to pay more attention to the current realities of society.

In the evening, I was a guest of the Supreme Leader. We discussed the press. He criticized the leftists' and liberals' propaganda surrounding the assassination attempt on Mr. [Saeed] Hajjarian, [editor-in-chief of Sobh-e Emrooz newspaper], and said that Mr. [Seyyed Ali-Asghar] Hejazi himself visited the hospital. While we were together, the sound of firecrackers from the Chaharshanbe Suri celebrations never ceased for a moment; it resembled the sound of battle during wartime at the forward headquarters. He instructed his office to remind the Minister of Interior that this was an absurd situation they had created.

He mentioned that Mr. [Seyyed Mohammad Mousavi] Khoeiniha had been summoned and was warned about the dangers of the current situation, with a final ultimatum given. He will travel to Mashhad for Nowruz. He expressed dissatisfaction with the Guardian Council over weak management and supervision, and with many judiciary officials going to Hajj. The U.S. has extended sanctions against Iran for another year, despite previously showing signs of reconciliation.