Hossein Fereydoun hospitalised

The brother and close advisor of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was transferred to a hospital during his second day of detention, according to reports on Iranian news sites.

Hossein Fereydoun

Hossein Fereydoun, is an Iranian politician. Fereydoun is the brother and aide to the President Hassan Rouhani. He has been described as the President’s “eyes and ears” in the negotiations leading to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. He was responsible for the Ayatollah Khomeini's security when he returned to Iran in 1979. He served as the district governor of Karaj and Nishapur. Fereydoun was later appointed as Iran's ambassador to Malaysia and held the office for eight years, before joining Iran's delegation to the United Nations. On 15 July 2017, Fereydoun was arrested in connection on charges of corruption.

Analysis

The arrest came as political tensions between the President and the judiciary increased. Ferydoun had been under investigation along with others, but it did not say how long he had been the subject of interest.

Fereydoun is a senior Iranian diplomat who played a prominent role in talks that led to a landmark nuclear agreement with world powers including the US. He also acted as a key adviser to Rouhani.

During the elections, Rouhani's main opponents, Ebrahim Raisi and Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, had both levelled allegations of corruption against his brother.

Assessment

Our assessment is that the imprisonment of his brother will be a challenge to the newly elected President Rouhani. It is clearly a fight between the reformist President and the conservatives who would want to administratively weaken Rouhani’s mandate.