The founder of the Ahvazi Liberal Party – an organization opposed to the Islamic Republic of Iran – claims to have secured a document in which the supreme leader of Iran transferred $4 billion to his son's personal Venezuelan account.
According to a translation of the document by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), the transfer request was sent by Mohammadi Golpayegani, Chief of Staff of Khamenei's office, to Dr. Ali Saleh-Abadi, the governor of the Central Bank of Iran. Ali Khamenei is the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The letter read: "In light of the current crisis in the country and the extensive wave of rioting by antirevolutionary elements and rioters across the country, and the security institutions' declaration of a Level Orange alert, your honor is requested to transfer the sum of $4 billion (US) [sic] from the state treasury to the personal account of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei at the Central Bank of Venezuela, in Venezuela."
Timing of the letter amid the ongoing protests in Iran
On February 12, Hamid Mutashar, founder of the Ahvazi Liberal Party tweeted the letter. The timing of the letter took place as Iran's regime is gripped by anti-regime protests in response to the theocracy's alleged murder of the 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September because she failed to entirely cover her hair with a hijab.
Kamran Malekpour, an Iranian-Canadian journalist for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, told The Jerusalem Post he believes the letter is a fake document.سري للغايه من مكتب المرشد الايرانى خامنئي السفاح إلى رئيس البنك المركزى بسبب الاضطرابات كما يوصفها الكتاب اي الثوره و الاوضاع الامنيه المتدهوره حسب وزارة الاستخبارات و رفع حالة التأهب الى اللون البرتقالى نرجوا منكم تحويل مبلغ ٤ مليار دولار بحساب مجتبى خامنئي فى دوله فنزويلا pic.twitter.com/QczzBUb20A
— hamid mutasher (@HamedMusher) February 13, 2023
He said "The basics are missed in the letter," including the transfer information for the "specific bank, account number, SWIFT, and branch."
SWIFT is a global payment system that enables wire services between banks. Malekpour added that there is no possibility to use SWIFT from Iran's Central Bank. He said the full name of Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, was not cited in the letter. He added that the supreme leader's full name, Ali Hosseini Khamenei, was not stated.
Malekpour noted that for all of the reasons he cited, the letter was fabricated.
The Jerusalem Post could not independently verify the authenticity of the letter.
MEMRI wrote that "It is notable that the document refers to Mojtaba as 'Ayatollah.' It is anticipated that Mojtaba will succeed his father."
MEMRI noted that "The Ahvaz region in southern Iran is home to members of an Arab minority that is harshly oppressed by the Iranian regime. This region is also where most of Iran's oil and gas reserves are located. Several Ahvazi movements that operate in the region are calling for autonomy for its Arab population and even for liberation from the Iranian regime."
"The Ahvaz region in southern Iran is home to members of an Arab minority that is harshly oppressed by the Iranian regime. This region is also where most of Iran's oil and gas reserves are located. Several Ahvazi movements that operate in the region are calling for autonomy for its Arab population and even for liberation from the Iranian regime."
MEMRI
However, the consensus among Iranian dissidents in the diaspora and Iranians within the highly oppressive Islamic state is to ensure a unified Iran after a possible collapse to retain the integrity of the ancient nation and its diverse group of ethnic and religious minorities.