Description
Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei Biography (Persian: اسفندیار رحیممشایی; born November 16, 1960) is an Iranian politician and former senior aide to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He served as Chief of Staff and held the position of First Vice President for a brief period in 2009. Mashaei is known for his controversial views, including statements suggesting that Iran was a friend of the American and Israeli peoples, which led to tensions with the conservative establishment and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His tenure as First Vice President was cut short after Khamenei ordered his resignation. Mashaei has been involved in various legal issues, including being sentenced to prison on charges related to threatening national security
