Tehran mayor under fire as unresolved China deal stirs controversy
Tehran’s mayor, Alireza Zakani, has found himself back in the spotlight amid growing concerns surrounding a €2 billion deal for electric buses with China.
Although this deal is not new, Zakani is facing renewed scrutiny from the General Inspection Organization of Iran (GIO), further intensifying tensions around his leadership and sparking debates over his handling of the city’s key challenges.
Following a trip to China in January, Zakani announced to the Tehran City Council that he had signed several significant agreements, including a €1.67 billion contract to improve the city’s transportation system.
The deal was set to cover a wide range of transportation products, including electric buses, taxis, vans, subway cars, and traffic cameras. However, despite the City Council approving a €2 billion budget for this purpose, members are still in the dark about the exact details of the agreements signed by Zakani.
The financial complexity of the deal has raised red flags. Tehran’s municipality lacks the hard currency reserves needed to cover the cost, leading to speculation that the funds will be drawn from Iranian oil revenues held in China.
The involvement of the Oil Ministry in the process suggested that the deal’s approval likely came from the highest echelons of power, with reports indicating the Supreme Leader’s office may have sanctioned it.
Most recently, the GIO, which operates under Iran’s judiciary, convened a session on the China deal. Media outlets, eager for information, reported that participants were surprised by the leak of the session’s news and were unwilling to disclose details discussed.
Tehran-based Didban News noted that the meeting addressed “ambiguities and issues regarding the municipality’s contract with China,” highlighting the continuing opacity surrounding the deal.
Speculation also emerged regarding a potential travel ban imposed on Zakani, attributed to the GIO’s ongoing review of the €2 billion contract. The issue has reportedly reached the Supreme Leader’s office, where Zakani is believed to have lodged a formal complaint about the GIO's scrutiny.
According to sources like Rouydad24, Zakani wrote a 10-page letter to Khamenei, expressing grievances against Mohammad Mehdi Bolandian, a senior GIO official.
The China deal is just one of the controversies enveloping Zakani's tenure. Earlier this year, Zakani faced a public outcry when a popular petition to unseat him gained significant traction.
In July, over 71,000 people signed the petition, which criticized his management of the capital, including the repurposing of green spaces for mosque construction and commercial developments. Many argued these decisions reflected a broader failure to address Tehran’s most pressing issues.
Zakani, a hardliner who was among the few candidates approved by the Guardian Council to run in the 14th presidential election, withdrew from the race in favor of other conservative figures.
His tenure as mayor has been marred by unresolved issues, from mismanagement of public spaces to his controversial stance during the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests, where his name was included in sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom.
As a former leader of the Student Basij Organization, Zakani’s past continues to haunt him. His trip to Brussels in 2022 also ignited outrage, with critics like Belgian MP Darya Safai condemning his presence, citing his involvement in an organization sanctioned for human rights violations.