Confirmation of Arrest of Main Perpetrator of Attack on Saudi Embassy

In continuation of reports regarding the identity of the attackers on the Saudi embassy in Tehran, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei announced the arrest of about one hundred individuals, with some of them being released. He also mentioned that one person who had entered Iran from abroad is currently in custody in this regard. According to the analytical news site Entekhab, this individual is none other than Sheikh Hassan Kordmihan. Entekhab reports that he is a well-known figure who was the mastermind behind the attack on the Saudi embassy; a person who, according to security officials, had not been in Iran for a while and was arrested upon his return. Kordmihan was famous in Karaj until a few years ago, organizing the Heyat al-Ridha gathering of the Ansar Hezbollah in Karaj, and gradually his fame spread beyond Karaj, establishing a gathering behind the southern terminal in the Khazaneh Bakharaei neighborhood. He is both a reciter of elegies and a preacher, and in 2013, when the officials of Qalibaf's campaign in Karaj could not win his favor, he took the initiative and organized campaign headquarters for Mr. Qalibaf. Kordmihan claims to oppose extremism but believes that the attack on the Saudi embassy stemmed from revolutionary zeal. He cites the lack of condemnation of the attack by Supreme Leader Khamenei as a reason for his endorsement of the action. In one of his speeches, Khamenei explicitly defends the Hezbollah youth in relation to the embassy attack, warning that not all actions should be attributed to these young people. Majid Mohammadi, an analyst and sociologist in New York, believes that Khamenei's behavior and statements reflect the duality of the Islamic Republic, which seeks to be revolutionary while also adhering to global diplomatic standards. A report from the Noor Ma'refat cultural and religious institute, which Kordmihan heads, mentions a meeting between Kordmihan and his group with Khamenei on December 27, 2010, describing it as the most beautiful meeting. In this report, Khamenei is quoted as saying that the activities of your group are like a bubbling spring that always flows, whereas the activities of governmental institutions are like digging a deep well that may yield results at great expense and effort.