Political Failures: The Meeting of Discredited Figures and Their Implications

Recently Reza Pahlavi shared a photograph of his meeting with individuals he identifies as political and cultural figures. However the faces in this gathering are largely unfamiliar even to media activists with the exception of one individual.

Iraj Masdagh the person standing to the left of the flag was a former supporter of the Mojahedin-e Khalq organization later distancing himself from this group. Over the years he has gained notoriety for capitalizing on the executions of Mojahedin members in 1988 often speaking to the media on this topic.

In the case of Hamid Nouri’s trial in Sweden Masdagh exerted considerable effort to condemn Nouri organizing rallies outside the courthouse with other Mojahedin supporters. However after Nouri’s release and subsequent return to Iran Masdagh’s influence waned significantly.

This politically discredited figure once an ally of the Mojahedin-e Khalq but later pursuing a different agenda has now aligned himself with supporters of Reza Pahlavi. Despite Pahlavi’s attempts to charm the United States he has failed to capture the attention of his benefactors rendering him even more politically bankrupt than Masdagh.