Iran's Ex-FM Zarif Reveals Reformist Bid to Oust Khamenei During Khatami's Presidency

Mohammad Javad Zarif, former foreign minister of the Islamic Republic, reveals in an exclusive audio file obtained by IranWire that the reformists started a project to remove Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei from power in 1999, prompting him to threaten their survival in response.

Zarif says, "The reformist movement in 1999 aimed at removing [the leadership], in other words, there was a desire to change the constitution. Following the [1999] parliamentary elections, it became evident that in that situation, threatening one side's survival also jeopardizes the other's. Otherwise, between 1997 and 1999, there was room for progress."

He then highlights Khamenei's decision to wear a keffiyeh starting in 1999 "because the reformists wanted to remove him from office." Zarif did not elaborate.

In the audio recording, Zarif addresses individuals present there who indirectly blamed Khamenei for Iranians' disillusionment with the electoral process and violation of the right to self-determination, urging them to "not blame others for our mistakes," referring to reformists.

In these statements, Zarif raises two key points about Khamenei. Firstly, he blames the reformists of the 1990s for Khamenei's opposition to public will in Iran, absolving the current leader of any ongoing mistakes and the country's current problems.

Secondly, Zarif portrays Khamenei as not being in the central core of the establishment, specifically while referencing figures such as Mohammed Ali Jafari and Hussein Taib, former high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

He says Taib and Jafari were "behind everything" during the recent elections. 

Contrary to Zarif's assertions, Khamenei and his appointees, including Ali Larijanil, the former head of state radio and TV organization, and Mohammed Yazdi, former head of the judiciary, actively opposed public sentiment in Iran from the start of reformist Mohammed Khatami's presidency in 1997. This was long before the reformists fully understood Khamenei's influence as an impediment to Iranians' right to self-determination.

Khamenei vs Khatami

Incidents such as the arrest of individuals close to Khatami, including Gholamhossein Karbaschi, mayor of Tehran at the time, and the closure of popular newspapers like Jameeh, along with the subsequent arrest of journalists and activists, characterized the initial months of Khatami's presidency. 

Beyond the arrest of Karbaschi and the impeachment of Abdullah Nouri, the Interior Minister, Khamenei supported their removal by the parliament. Along with this, Khamenei's influence on cultural policies through directives to the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance reflects his efforts to put the president under pressure. 

He also endorsed Ali Akbar Nategh-Nuri as speaker of parliament.

Nategh-Nuri was Khatami's electoral opponent in 1997. According to Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's memoirs of the same year, Nategh-Nuri's candidacy was suggested by Khamenei, who showed keen interest in his victory.

One significant event before 1999, a period Zarif deems "conducive to progress," was the series of murders in 1998, which altered the dynamic between Khatami and Khamenei. 

Khatami advocated for an independent investigation by his representatives and the removal of Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi, the then Minister of Intelligence. 

However, Khamenei effectively thwarted these efforts by publicly attributing the killings to a "foreign enemy," making domestic investigation challenging for Khatami.

In one of his notes during a meeting with Khatami in 1998, Hashemi Rafsanjani recorded Khatami's distress, who said, "It is a very complicated situation. Should I have known this, I would not run for president."

Meanwhile, Khamenei's antagonistic actions against Khatami and his government continued through state radio and television broadcasts overseen by Ali Larijani, including the program "Light."

Ruhollah Hosseinian, a security figure and former Ministry of Intelligence official, blamed Khatami's associates for the murders during this program, causing significant friction.

Contrary to Zarif's claims, Rafsanjani's account underscores Khamenei's lack of cooperation with the Khatami government: "I went to the leader's office at half past three... They had invited a large number of officials... Mr. Khatami spoke... He bitterly criticized the "Light" program from last night and Hosseinian's statements in the presence of the leadership... He told the leadership that the minimum compensation is that Mr. Larijani be dismissed. Honestly, it is a strong blow."

Zarif in Political Quagmire

In his remarks, Mohammad Javad Zarif also revealed that he had the initial opportunity for the presidency among reformist candidates in 2021 but expressed disinterest in running. 

However, he does not deny his political ambitions and believes he enjoys public support. Yet, he strives to maintain favor with Khamenei while blaming the reformists for the country's economic struggles over the past 34 years.

Zarif is currently under US sanctions, barring him and his immediate family from traveling to the United States. 

These sanctions stem from his association with Khamenei's office during the Trump administration because he "implements the reckless agenda of Iran's Supreme Leader, and is the regime's primary spokesperson around the world."

Despite publicly lauding Khamenei, Zarif has incurred costs, including a decline in popularity among Iranian citizens, and has seemingly lost Khamenei's trust. 

It's unlikely that his current approach will regain favor with Khamenei or the hardline core of the establishment.