OIFI
Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi
مجتبی ثمره هاشمیSenior adviser and chief political strategist to President Ahmadinejad
Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi was the chief political strategist and senior adviser to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, often described as a cross between 'Iran's Karl Rove and a president's chief of staff.' He studied with Ahmadinejad at Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) in the late 1970s and maintained close ties to the IRGC and intelligence services.
Samareh Hashemi is a nephew of Mohammad-Javad Bahonar, the prime minister assassinated in 1981. A dedicated follower of Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi, he was placed in the Foreign Ministry as director of placements in the early 1990s on Mesbah-Yazdi's sponsorship. He later served as deputy interior minister for political affairs from 2006.
Samareh Hashemi played a central role in Ahmadinejad's election campaigns and inner-circle decision-making, and was considered one of the most powerful behind-the-scenes figures in the administration.