A confidential document from Iran’s cabinet, obtained by IranWire, reveals a concerted effort to promote the legacy of former President Ebrahim Raisi before the recent election.
The document, signed by Sajad Mirshojaei, Director General of the Government, calls for an extensive propaganda campaign to highlight the “jihadi achievements and actions” of Raisi’s administration, which ended after he died in a helicopter crash in May.
The directive was sent to government offices across the country two days before the first round of the presidential elections on June 28.
It appears to be a calculated move to influence public opinion and shape the narrative around Raisi’s tenure as the country prepared to choose a new president.
The 86-page report, prepared by the Office of the Government Board and Cooperation of Executive Bodies, paints a rosy picture of Raisi’s three-year presidency.
It claims unprecedented levels of people’s satisfaction with his administration and touts supposed improvements across political, economic, and social indicators.
However, these claims starkly contrast with independent assessments of Iran’s economic situation under Raisi.
Among the most striking assertions in the report is the claim that Iran’s economic growth rate surged from a negative 2.5 percent at the end of Hassan Rouhani’s presidency to a positive 5.5 percent under Raisi – an alleged eight percentage point rise over just three years.
The document also boasts of a 12 percent rise in foreign investment, a figure that seems highly improbable given the extensive US sanctions and near-complete suspension of trade relations with Europe during this period.
Perhaps most notably, the report claims a 14 percent decrease in currency rates, particularly concerning the US dollar.
However, this assertion is easily contradicted by publicly available data showing that the value of the US dollar against the Iranian rial more than doubled during Raisi’s presidency, rising from around 28,000 tomans to over 57,000 tomans.
Mostafa Pourmohammadi, a former ally of Raisi and fellow member of the controversial “Death Committee” that executed thousands of political prisoners in 1988, stated during his campaign that if Raisi were alive, he would not have continued on the same path.
The push to glorify Raisi’s legacy comes against a backdrop of significant economic hardship for many Iranians.
Independent non-governmental statistics paint a grim picture, indicating that during Raisi’s presidency, unemployment and inflation led to an unprecedented increase in poverty levels, with an additional 30 percent of Iran’s population falling below the poverty line.
The document instructs government officials and governors to focus on specific talking points when discussing Raisi’s presidency.
These include portraying him as a “man of the people,” praising his efforts to break monopolies in senior management circles, touting supposed successes in currency management and health infrastructure development, and highlighting claims of reduced unemployment and increased foreign investment.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, had previously praised Raisi’s performance, suggesting his accomplishments had not been sufficiently publicized.
The new propaganda push appears as a direct response to Khamenei’s comments, aiming to cement a positive legacy for Raisi as the country moves forward under a new president.
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Source » iranwire