Head of Iranian Social Workers Association: With the Wealth of 'Astan Quds', We Can Ensure No One Works in the Streets Due to Poverty

Hassan Mousavi Chelyk, the head of the Iranian Social Workers Association, criticized the negligence of institutions under Ali Khamenei, including Astan Quds Razavi, Executive Headquarters, and the Foundation of the Oppressed, towards the poor and needy during a television program. He stated that only with the wealth of Astan Quds can something be done to prevent anyone in Iran from having to work in the streets due to poverty. Astan Quds Razavi is one of the largest economic and religious institutions under Ali Khamenei, operating in various sectors including oil, construction, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and the stock market. In 2019, some media outlets reported that 60% of Iran's national wealth is held by four institutions: the Executive Headquarters of Imam, Khatam al-Anbia, Astan Quds, and the Foundation of the Oppressed. This level of ownership of national assets comes while these institutions never publish reports on their performance and are often tax-exempt. One of the criticisms against Astan Quds after tax exemptions is its acquisition of projects through non-competitive means and based on connections. The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department has previously announced that Astan Quds Razavi and its leaders, like the Executive Headquarters of Imam, are on the U.S. sanctions list. According to a statement from the U.S. Treasury Department, 'the two entities, the Executive Headquarters of Imam and Astan Quds, although they appear to operate as charitable organizations, control large sectors of the Iranian economy, including assets confiscated from political opponents and religious minorities for the benefit of Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, and senior government officials.' The statement adds, 'It is said that Astan Quds Razavi and the Executive Headquarters of Imam, along with the previously sanctioned Foundation of the Oppressed controlled by the Supreme Leader and Khatam al-Anbia controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, hold more than half of Iran's economy.' A review of statistics and reports shows that over 68% of the Iranian population is either poor or on the brink of poverty. This is a point noted by the World Bank, which stated that the poverty rate in Iran increased from 20% in 2011 to 28.1% in 2020, with 40% of Iranians also at risk of falling into poverty. The Research Center of the Parliament has also reported the poverty rate in the country as 30%. Rising inflation and unemployment rates have increased the misery index in 14 provinces of Iran. Tehran lacks 'quality of life'; the capital is a city of the depressed. The minimum holiday bonus for workers is 10.6 million tomans; the smell of the holiday is the smell of poverty. Intensified opposition to attempts to change the wage determination formula; a labor activist stated: 'Regional wages will not benefit workers.'