Tehran hardliners bash US-educated nominee for economy minister

Iran has been without an economy minister since March—and may remain so even longer—as President Massoud Pezeshkian’s nominee faces mounting opposition from hardliners inside and outside parliament.

The moderate president has struggled for nearly three months to name a replacement after his previous minister was impeached, drawing criticism from rivals for indecision.

Now, his choice Ali Madanizadeh, a prominent academic with degrees from Stanford and the University of Chicago—is under intense scrutiny, with opponents questioning his qualifications and ideological loyalties.

“I am not saying he is an infiltrator, but he received a scholarship from a Western influence network that recruits elite students, indoctrinating them before placing them in key positions in Iran to serve Western interests,” MP Hossein Samsami told parliament.

Another lawmaker, Sara Fallahi, argued that Madanizadeh is unfit for office because his child was born in the United States.

Madanizadeh, 43, currently serves as dean of the Faculty of Economics at Iran’s top technical school, Sharif University of Technology, where he obtained his first degree before going to the U.S. for advanced studies.

He has also advised Iran’s Central Bank and the Planning and Budget Organization.

Ultraconservatives, particularly the Paydari Party, have led the charge against Madanizadeh—just as they did in the impeachment of the former economy minister and the push to oust Pezeshkian’s transport minister over the port blast in southern Iran in late April.

MP Amir Hossein Sabeti claimed—without naming Madanizadeh—that the nominee “lacks managerial experience” and is no different from the minister they removed.

The moderate news site Khabar Online on Tuesday framed the criticisms as political revenge for Pezeshkian’s defeat of Paydari’s preferred candidate, Saeed Jalili, in the 2024 election.

Moderates push back

Although parliament initially approved all of Pezeshkian’s cabinet picks, that backing has eroded.

Pezeshkian’s allies have defended the nomination.

Moderate MP Alireza Novin called the criticisms “unethical behavior” that denies Madanizadeh a chance to prove his qualifications.

Renowned sociologist Mohammad Fazeli said hardliners “routinely brand political and academic elites as infiltrators to deprive the system of capable individuals.”

Shadow of supreme power

In the debates surrounding the impeachment of former economy minister Abdolnasser Hemmati, his supporters argued that Iran’s economic failings are structural and often rooted in decisions not made by the administration.

What most mean by that—but do not say—is that the one ultimately responsible is Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei has long promoted his concept of a “resistance economy,” a loosely defined model grounded in anti-Americanism, self-sufficiency and ideological discipline.

While he frequently calls for higher productivity, critics argue that Tehran’s foreign policy—set and directed by Khamenei—has led to sanctions and international isolation that make such goals unachievable.