Iraj Eskandari

Iraj Eskandari (1907–1985) was an Iranian communist politician and a Qajar prince who became one of Iran's most prominent Marxist leaders. Educated in France, he was among the founding members of the Tudeh Party of Iran in 1941. He served as Minister of Commerce and Industry in 1946 under Prime Minister Ahmad Qavam's coalition cabinet. After the 1953 coup and the banning of the Tudeh Party, Eskandari went into exile. He returned to the party leadership in 1969, serving as First Secretary until 1979. On the eve of the 1979 revolution, he was dismissed from the leadership after opposing the decision to support Ayatollah Khomeini, and was replaced by Nureddin Kianouri. Eskandari died in exile in 1985.