Hamid Baghaei | |
---|---|
Supervisor of Presidential Administration of Iran | |
In office 9 April 2011 – 3 August 2013 | |
President | Mahmoud Ahmadinejad |
Preceded by | Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei |
Succeeded by | Mohammad Nahavandian |
Vice President of Iran for Executive Affairs | |
In office 9 April 2011 – 4 August 2013 | |
President | Mahmoud Ahmadinejad |
Preceded by | Ali Saeedlou |
Succeeded by | Mohammad Shariatmadari |
Vice President of Iran Head of Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization | |
In office 17 July 2009 – 19 May 2011 | |
President | Mahmoud Ahmadinejad |
Preceded by | Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei |
Succeeded by | Ruhollah Ahmadzadeh |
Personal details | |
Born | 1968 or 1969 (age 55–56)[1] Hamedan, Iran[1] |
Political party | Sweet Scent of Service (2006–2009)[2] |
Hamid Baghaei (Persian: حميد بقایی) is an Iranian conservative politician and former intelligence officer[1] who is considered one of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's closest confidants.[3] He first entered the administration in 2006 as deputy of Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei in the Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization. In 2011, he simultaneously held the position of vice president in charge of executive affairs and supervised the presidential administration.[4]
There has also been much discussion about whether there is any link between the Front and Mashaei. Conservative Majles deputy Hamid Reza Katouzian said that the Front is the same as Raayeheh-e Khosh-e Khedmat (RKK, or the Sweet Scent of Service), a pro-Ahmadinejad group that was active from 2006 to 2009. Katouzian added that Mashaei was the leader of the RKK and claimed that the behind-the-scenes leaders of the Front are Mashaei and Vice President for Executive Affairs Hamid Baghaei, another close and controversial Ahmadinejad aide.