Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has dismissed Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad and appointed Razia Ashtian, a senior IRGC figure, in his place, according to a single source report. The move appears to give the Revolutionary Guards direct control over Iran's oil sector.
A single Persian-language the source reports that Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei dismissed Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad — who was elected under President Masoud Pezeshkian's administration — and replaced him with Razia Ashtian, a senior official of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The report has not been corroborated by any official Iranian source or international media. If confirmed, the move would concentrate control over Iran's oil exports and revenue — a pillar of the regime's economy and a key funding source for the IRGC's regional operations — directly in the hands of the Revolutionary Guards. It follows weeks of public tension between President Pezeshkian and the IRGC over oil policy and budget allocations. As The Zioneer previously reported, Pezeshkian claimed his government supplied 20 million barrels of oil to the IRGC, a statement the IRGC spokesman later contradicted. The oil ministry could not immediately be reached for comment.
- DevelopingSenior Iranian official: Khamenei purges government officials, replaces them with IRGC figures
- StrongPakistan PM to meet Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei today – reports
- DevelopingSource: Iran deal reached at foreign minister level, IRGC commander seeks Khamenei's final approval
- DevelopingNew analysis raises questions over Mojtaba Khamenei's status and who runs Iran
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
- Internal intake