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Did Iran’s president sideline his own brother?

Iranian media are speculating as to why Hossein Fereydoun, brother and special adviser to President Hassan Rouhani, has not attended Cabinet meetings for two months.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (C), Head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi and Hossein Fereydoon (R), brother and close aide to President Hassan Rouhani meet with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (not pictured) at a hotel in Vienna, Austria July 3, 2015. A year and half of nuclear talks between Iran and major powers were creeping towards the finish line on Friday as negotiators wrestled with sticking points including questions about Tehran's past atomic research.  R

Just two weeks before Iran and the six world powers reached a landmark nuclear deal ending a decadelong international dispute, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani dispatched his brother Hossein Fereydoun to Vienna to join the negotiations. (Rouhani changed his last name when he joined the clergy.) As a member of the inner circle of special advisers to the president, Fereydoun was described as the “eyes and ears” of Rouhani during the talks. However, according to Reformist newspaper Aftab-e Yazd, Fereydoun has not been seen in Cabinet meetings for two months now and rumors are swirling that Rouhani has been pressured to part ways with his younger brother.

According to the May 25 Aftab-e Yazd article, Fereydoun, who once followed the president like his shadow, has not been seen in some of the president’s most important public events, including meetings with members of the 10th parliament, senior clergy in Qom and the leaders of India and Afghanistan. He was also not present during the president’s trip to Kerman. The article reported, “It’s not clear why Fereydoun, who used to show up everywhere, is now hidden behind the clouds.”

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