Presidential Elections; News Agency Close to the IRGC and Vahid Haqaniyan Attack Each Other

One day after the registration of candidates for the 14th presidential election in Iran, a dispute has erupted between some candidates and news agencies close to the government. The Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), criticized Vahid Haqaniyan after he introduced himself in a video clip as the 'senior advisor and assistant in executive affairs of the leadership office.' They questioned why this former security and military figure referred to his 'affiliation' with Ali Khamenei's office as the 'focal point' of his campaign. Tasnim, without naming Haqaniyan, labeled his actions as 'unethical' and 'disrespectful to this very high institution,' emphasizing that he has 'no significant executive responsibility' but registered as a presidential candidate. In response, Haqaniyan accused Tasnim of 'slander' and stated that 'one of the first reforms in my government will be to change the direction of media affiliated with governmental institutions.' He remarked, 'While these media outlets directly feed off the public treasury and the military budget, they continuously interfere in the country’s internal politics, contrary to the law and the explicit orders of the late Imam.' Haqaniyan also noted that the media's 'desperate efforts' are due to their fear of the failure of their supported candidate. This election candidate, who is referred to by some media as 'one of the officials' of Ali Khamenei's office, did not mention the name of the potential candidate supported by the IRGC-affiliated news agency. The issue of 'interference' by media linked to military bodies in Iran and their 'guidance' to judicial institutions has been raised multiple times by opponents of the Islamic Republic, yet no measures have been taken to stop this, and no official has provided an explanation. This is the first time a current or former figure close to the Supreme Leader has spoken about the interference of military-affiliated media in the country's affairs. Although for years, images of Vahid Haqaniyan alongside Ali Khamenei were common, the exact title of Haqaniyan's executive position in the Supreme Leader's office is unclear, but he has been part of the inner circle around the Supreme Leader for years, either as a bodyguard or a coordinator. However, Haqaniyan, also known as 'Agha Vahid,' has not been seen alongside Khamenei in recent years, but there are no official reports regarding his dismissal. Those who mention the dismissal of this security figure refer to a video that shows, during the elections in March 2020, when Khamenei entered the polling station, a person who appeared to be the Supreme Leader's bodyguard prevented Haqaniyan from moving to the front row, and the tension between the two was quite evident. Khamenei called for the election of a president to 'stabilize Iran's strategic depth.' Haqaniyan also criticized Tasnim, stating that the news agency has ignored 'my grave responsibilities since the beginning of the revolution.' Although no precise information about Haqaniyan's activities has been officially released, he is mentioned as responsible for special follow-up affairs in the Supreme Leader's office and one of the organizers of the visible and hidden relations of this office. Hussein Sazvar, who was referred to as the coordinator of the eulogists of the office, once described Haqaniyan as 'the leopard and tiger of Agha's apparatus' who does not allow 'wolves' to devour the office. After Haqaniyan registered for the 14th presidential election, which he himself said was a 'personal decision,' due to a lack of information about him, Iranian media have published articles about his background in various fields. After showing Haqaniyan's identification card to reporters, it was revealed that he was born on February 6, 1962, in Tehran, to a father born in Najafabad, Isfahan, and a mother born in Tehran. Haqaniyan is referred to as one of the 'commanders of the Tharallah patrols in Tehran in the 1980s,' who also served on the front in 1987. Abdullah Ghanji, when he was the editor-in-chief of the Javan newspaper (close to the IRGC), wrote in a Telegram note titled 'General or Servant?' about Haqaniyan: 'He is not only not a general of the IRGC but has never had any membership in the armed forces. The honor of serving the Supreme Leader is a more significant title that Mr. Haqaniyan is proud of.' This note was published at a time when, according to Ensaf News, many official media, even Fars News Agency, another media outlet close to the IRGC, had repeatedly used the title 'general' for Vahid Haqaniyan. The first time Vahid Haqaniyan attracted public and media attention was during the presidential endorsement ceremony in 2009 when, in the absence of high-ranking figures of the Islamic Republic such as Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, he delivered the endorsement to the Supreme Leader to hand over to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. After the 2021 presidential election, Haqaniyan also wrote an open letter, considering the candidacy of figures like Mohsen Rezaei, Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, and Abdolnasser Hemmati as 'divine assistance' for Ebrahim Raisi in that election. This letter also faced a harsh reaction from Tasnim, which wrote to Haqaniyan: 'As a natural person, you have the right to engage politically or publish your analyses and even talk to the media, but this is on the condition that you announce you have left the office and have no responsibility there anymore.' With Haqaniyan's registration in the elections, some experts predict that he will likely be 'disqualified,' and this event will take the 'poison' of disqualification from other political figures in the elections.