The Iranian investment company, Ghadir has signed an investment agreement with the Russian ‘Zarubezhneft’ Corporation and the Turkish Unit International on Monday in Moscow.
According to Shana, news agency for Iran’s Ministry of Oil, consortium of the three companies shall invest in joint gas and oil projects inside and outside Iran with equal shares, but under Ghadir’s leadership, which is the first time an Iranian company signs a trilateral agreement with foreign companies.
Ghadir Investment Company is reported to be under control of the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, giving this company the advantage of signing such agreements and benefit from the nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group.
The Bank of Exports established Ghadir in 1991. In 1995, it turned into a shareholding company and offered its stocks in the stock market in Tehran. Years later, the Armed Forces Social Insurance Establishment took control of Ghadir after buying its biggest shares.
Ghadir is one of the Committee of Carrying out Khamenei’s Orders companies. According to Reuters, this committee is a financial empire; its assets amounted to ninety-five billion USDs in 2013 and was placed on the list of a terrorist organization by the US department of treasury. Some observers said that the United States did so not because of the committee’s role in the Iranian nuclear program, but to exert more pressure on Khamenei.
Ghadir’s link to Khamenei is not publically documented; however, the names of its officials and experts are well known and disclose the real affiliation of this company. For example, its Executive Manager worked as Deputy of the Head of Khamenei’s Committee for Planning Affairs for five years, while Ahmed Bor Dariani, Chief of its Board of Directors was one of the high-ranking officers in the IRGC intelligence.
Today, Ghadir is one of the biggest Iranian investment companies. It works in many economic fields like oil, gas, petrochemicals, constructions, and mining through its 7 Holding Companies and the 140 subsidiary companies.
In fact, no private company can take licenses in big oil and gas projects in Iran unless owned or controlled by governmental personnel and organizations.
Source: Radio Farda
