Mohammad Shariatmadari

Mohammad Shariatmadari
File:Mohammad Shariatmadari.jpg Shariatmadari in 2016
Vice President of Iran for Executive Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office 8 October 2013
President	Hassan Rouhani
Preceded by	Hamid Baqai
Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Acting
In office 28 October 2013 – 17 November 2013
President	Hassan Rouhani
Preceded by	Reza Salehi Amiri
Succeeded by	Mahmoud Goudarzi
Minister of Commerce
In office 25 August 1997 – 24 August 2005
President	Mohammad Khatami
Preceded by	Yahya Ale Eshaq
Succeeded by	Masoud Mir Kazemi
Personal details
Born	(1960-07-24) 24 July 1960 Tehran, Iran
Nationality	Iranian
Political party	Association for Defence of Revolution Values (1996–1999)
Religion	Islam
Website	Official website

Mohammad Shariatmadari (born 24 June 1960) is an Iranian politician who has been serving as vice president for executive affairs since 8 October 2013. He also served as minister of commerce from 1997 to 2005 in the cabinet of President Mohammad Khatami.

Early life and education

Shariatmadari was born in Tehran on 24 June 1960. He attended the University of Kerman and graduated with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering.

Career and political activities

Shariatmadari became a member of Central Revolutionary Committee following the 1979 revolution. He is among the founders of Iran’s intelligence ministry and served as deputy intelligence minister. He was one of the supporters of Ayatollah Mohammad Reyshahri in the presidential election in 1997. Reyshahri lost the election and Mohammad Khatami became the president.

He was the minister of commerce from 1997 to 2005 in the cabinet headed by President Khatami. In 2006, he was appointed to then newly founded the Strategic Council for Foreign Relation as a member. He is also a foreign policy advisor to Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran.

On 8 October 2013, President Hassan Rouhani appointed Shariatmadari as vice president for executive affairs. He was also appointed as acting Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports on 28 October 2013 after Rouhani's nominee for the post was rejected by the Parliament.

Candidacy for 2013 election

In August 2012, the Society for Defending the Values of the Islamic Revolution announced that Shariatmadari was its candidate for the presidential election to be held in June 2013. He also confirmed it in January 2013. He was among independent and technocrat candidates. On the other hand, he was also regarded as one of the reformist candidates. He announced in April 2013 that he would withdraw his candidacy if Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri, Mohammad Khatami or Hassan Khomeini run for the election. In May 2013, Shariatmadari withdrew his candidacy in favor of Rafsanjani.