Resignation of Iran Guards’ Economic Chief Raises Speculation over his Presidential Run

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced Sunday the resignation of the head of its economic and engineering arm, raising speculation that he will run in the upcoming presidential elections in June.

Head of the “Khatam al-Anbiya”, General Saeed Mohammad resigned from his post, an hour after IRGC Commander in Chief Hossein Salami signed a decision to appoint Hossein Hooshi-Sadat as his successor.

Salami also appointed Mohammad as his special advisor.

In his resignation post on Twitter, Mohammad explained that he stepped down in an attempt to “protect the Kahatm al-Anbiya group in wake of the emergence of political and electoral rumors.”

Most of the sanctions slapped by the administration of former US President Donald Trump targeted companies affiliated with Khatam al-Anbiya.

Mohammed, 52, is among the most prominent second generation of IRGC leaders. His sudden appointment to lead the Guards’ economic arm was reason enough to raise speculation that he may later run for president. In 2020, Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei had said that President Hassan Rouhani’s successor should be “young” and “revolutionary” in character, both traits boasted by Mohammed.

In October 2020, Bloomberg included Mohammed in its list of five names dominating discussions about who might be Iran’s next president.

So far, several politicians have expressed their interest in running in the polls.

Hossein Dehghan, aide to Khamenei and former minister of defense, and Ali Motahari, conservative governor and former deputy speaker of Iran’s parliament, have so far submitted their nominations.