Hard-line brothers seek to oust Iran's old guard conservatives
A new wave of Iranian hard-liners who embrace the teachings of the late Ayatollah Khomeini is looking to replace the entrenched conservatives that the younger grouping thinks have strayed from the path.
Two well-known brothers are once again causing a stir among Iranian hard-liners, leading a relatively younger generation of far-right political conservatives in a revolt against the old guard.
The two are Vahid Jalili, 46, who has been involved in cultural affairs and is a senior figure among the new wave of hard-liners, and his 54-year-old sibling, former nuclear negotiator and presidential candidate Saeed Jalili.
The most recent row began when Vahid Jalili launched an onslaught of criticism against state TV, which has a monopoly over radio and TV channels in Iran. On Sept. 4, he pointed a finger at the highly influential Hossein Mohammadi, the cultural deputy of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s office who is a generation older than Jalili. Jalili also criticized the current head of state TV, Abdulali Ali Asgari (born in 1958, around age 61), his deputy Morteza Bagheri and Ezzatollah Zarghami, former chairman of state TV. Jalili said the group has held a tight grip over state TV for three decades, noting that their friendships date back to their high school days in the 1970s. (It was soon revealed, however, that Jalili and his entourage also run a state TV channel.)
Bringing up the low-profile but powerful Mohammadi and wielding sway in state TV is unprecedented, as it has been taboo for the media to criticize the supreme leader’s office members. But a younger grouping of hard-liners is breaking that taboo, seeking to topple the old guard and replace it in the power centers and institutions. The younger generation strongly believes the old guard doesn’t accurately follow the guidance of Islamic Republic founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (who died in 1989 at age 86) and current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is 80.
