Tehran, Aug 8, 2021 (AFP) – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday appointed a person subject to U.S. Treasury sanctions since January as first vice president, according to the presidency’s website.
Mohammad Mohbe ran the powerful parastatal foundation of the Order of the Imam (Setad) (also sanctioned by the US) and previously held positions in Khuzistan province (Southwest).
The fund was created in the late 1980s to manage property confiscated after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and has since grown into a large state-owned economic conglomerate with shares in various sectors, including healthcare.
Setad, whose president is appointed by Iran’s top leader, is responsible through its Barekat Foundation for the development of Iran’s first coronavirus vaccine, which received emergency authorization in June.
Both the Setad Foundation and Mokhber have been on the US Treasury’s negative list since January.
Having won the June 18 presidential election, marked by a record number of abstentions, the ultra-conservative Raisi replaced the moderate Hassan Rohani.
Raisi also chose Golamhosein Esmaili, who was the representative of the judiciary, as the head of his administration.
Esmaily, a former prosecutor, came under European Union sanctions and has been on his negative list since 2011, when he was the head of a prison organization, for “serious human rights violations”.
raw / cam / feb / gj / msr / mb / mr
