Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appointed a former top official and economic kingpin in charge of the Ayatollah's sprawling economic interests and Iran's COVID-19 response as a formal advisor.

The decision highlights the persistent role of Mohammad Mokhber in the theocratic system's inner circle following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi - under whom he served as vice president - in a helicopter crash earlier this year.

In his appointment decree, Khamenei said Mokhber's responsibility would be to continue the Raisi’s administration's "prudent policies ... (especially) identifying and utilizing young and elite talents".

The precise scope of Mokhber’s duties as the Supreme Leader’s assistant remains unclear, but his appointment comes as part of efforts by Khamenei to further consolidate control over the executive branch.

Mokhber, a stalwart personal ally of Khamenei, previously managed several large economic entities for over a decade.

Mokhber’s role in COVID-19 response

Mokhber’s career took on a higher profile during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he served as the head of the Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order (EIKO), an organization that oversees vast economic interests in Iran. Under his leadership, EIKO took charge of producing Iran’s domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine, COVIran Barekat and monopolized the import of COVID-19 test kits.

During the pandemic, Mokhber introduced his daughter Tayebeh as the first recipient of the Barekat vaccine, to emphasize its safety. However, the domestic vaccine rollout was widely criticized.

According to official reports, 136,166 Iranians died from COVID-19 between February 2020 and February 2023. A scientific study published after the pandemic concluded that if Iran had not insisted on using the Barekat vaccine and instead used available international vaccines, an estimated 50,000 lives could have been saved.

Although Mokhber left his role at EIKO after the pandemic subsided, his involvement in the state’s pandemic response including the monopoly on test kit imports and the domestic vaccine’s development, may define his legacy.

His transition into the position of Khamenei’s assistant highlights the trust placed in him despite the controversies surrounding his pandemic-era leadership.

Rise to power

Born in 1955 in Dezful, Mokhber hails from a religious family. His father, Abbas Mokhber, was a local preacher and held various roles after the 1979 revolution. In 1995, Mokhber founded an institute in his father’s name which remains under the management of relatives.

Before the revolution, Mokhber was a member of the Mansouroun group, a faction that eventually became part of the Mojahedin of Islamic Revolution Organization. Some have accused the group of involvement in a deadly arson attack on a cinema in Abadan which outraged Iranians in the run-up to the Islamic Revolution.

Mokhber’s rise to power began in the 2000s, when he joined the Foundation for the Oppressed, an economic organization under the control of Khamenei. Working under Mohammad Forouzandeh, another member of the Mansouroun group, Mokhber was involved in the foundation’s commercial and transportation sectors.

His ascent continued with his role in the exclusion of Turkish telecom giant Turkcell from the Irancell project. Mokhber reportedly played a role in convincing the Iranian parliament to replace Turkcell with South Africa’s MTN, positioning himself as a key figure in the economic and political decisions. Shortly afterward, in 2007, Khamenei appointed him as the head of EIKO, an organization with vast financial resources and little transparency.

Mokhber’s economic influence

During his 14-year tenure at EIKO, Mokhber expanded its economic reach, particularly through the Barkat Pharmaceutical Group, a conglomerate of 20 pharmaceutical companies, some of which had been confiscated from private owners.

The Barkat group became central to Iran’s pandemic response, even before the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, as it monopolized the importation of COVID-19 test kits.

Mokhber’s family connections have also come under scrutiny. His son, Sajjad Mokhber, has been named in reports linking him to debts and privileged positions in companies connected to the Pasargad Bank, another entity reportedly tied to EIKO.

Leaked documents in early 2024 implicated Sajjad in oil trading deals, raising questions about the extent of the Mokhber family’s influence in Iran’s economy.