Minister of Foreign Affairs: Mohammad Javad Zarif

Background HistoryYou were born in Tehran, the capital of Iran, on January 7, 1960 to a successful, yet

religiously and politically conservative merchant family. You attended the Alavi School in Tehran, a private religious institution. While your family wanted you to become a religious leader to combat the secularization or Iran, you had other ideas. At the age of 17, you left for the United States and attended Drew College Preparatory School where you finished your primary education. You then attended San Francisco State University where you received both your Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in International Relations. You then attended the University of Denver where you received your second Master of Arts in International Relations and then later a PHD in International Law and Policy.

Due to your command of the English language and your time spent in the United States, you were appointed as a member of the Iran delegation to the UN in 1982. You served as a junior diplomat in many prominent events such as the negotiation for the release of US hostages held by Iranians in Lebanon. You were later appointed as Iran’s representative to the United Nations and served from 2002 to 2007 where your main focus was a resolution to make amends with the United States. You met with important US politicians, but later resigned in 2007 for unknown reasons, rumored to be pressure for the Iranian Leadership for your radical stance in US-Iran normalization.

You were then appointed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2013. You serve as Iran’s chief diplomat to all international meetings and conferences. Most recently, you have worked diligently in P5+1 and Iran summit to find a diplomatic solution to Iran’s development of nuclear energy. In 2013, you reached a short-term agreement known as the Geneva Agreement in which part of Iran’s nuclear program was frozen in order to decrease economic sanctions against Iran. While this agreement received wide support from the general public, the Iranian leadership was disappointed that you conceded to Western demands.

Connections● You maintain connections with all of the Universities and colleagues you met while in

the United States● You also have good-standing relationships with the Permanent Ambassador to the UN

and the Minister of Education

Portfolio Powers● Overt

○ You contacts with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs in every other nation in the Middle East

○ You have influence over negotiations that involve Iran with other nations○ You have the resources and connections that will allow you to carry out your

responsibilities as the Minister of Foreign Affairs● Covert

○ You recently found some of the passwords to accounts owned by the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance pertaining to Foreign Direct Investment as well as

the passwords to accounts owned by the Minister of Communication and Information Technology pertaining to patent protection and technology grants.

○ You have also had secret meetings with many US politicians, most prominently Secretary of State John Kerry, in order to undermine the traditional conservative agenda back in Tehran.

Aspirations● While you appear to be an obedient servant to the Supreme Leader Khameni, your

differences in opinion have caused you to be secretly against the Supreme Leader.● While you claim that Iran refuses to concede to the West’s absurd list of demands back

home, you actually hope that Iran’s nuclear program will fail, for you believe a healthy relation with the US can provide more than a nuclear program ever could

● You represent the radical left of Iran and hope that this pointless feud with the United States will end within your lifetime.

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations: H.E. Mr. Gholam Ali Khoshroo

Background and HistoryYou were born in 1955 and you are married with four children. You studied sociology at Tehran

University, and then at the New School for Social Research in New York City. You became Dean of the School for International Relations, before entering the Foreign Ministry.

You were appointed as Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations on January 31st 2015 with the full backing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Zarif, Rouhani and Kharazi. Your nomination comes 10 months after the US denied visa for the initial candidate, Hamid Abutalebi. Before becoming the UN Ambassador, you were Iran’s Ambassador to Switzerland. Previously, you served as a deputy foreign minister under reformist President Khatami.

Recently, you’ve face criticism for your anti-Israel views, and past comments urging Muslims to “unite around resistance” to the Jewish state. You display much of the anti Israel animus common among Iran’s leading politicians and diplomats. In recent years, you have extensively worked on the development of contemporary political Islam and its implication for western societies. You are also a well known senior editor of the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Islam.

Connections● Direct Line to: The Supreme Leader, the President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs● Former President Khatami – You said you had a “special relationship” with the former

president, as well as familial ties● President Rouhani – Your son married his niece● In committee, you maintain good relations with the the Minister of Foreign Affairs and

the Minister of Finance

Portfolio Powers● Overt

○ Can negotiate with the UN member states on behalf of the President and the Islamic Republic of Iran

○ Can represent Iran in the General Assemblies and may draft resolutions on its behalf

● Covert○ Can directly negotiate with any given nation on behalf of the Ayatollah,

particularly other Arab states○ Your position as Dean in the School for IR has left you in a position to influence

the future of Iran’s foreign relations and its ambassadors

Aspirations● You wish to see the UN accept Iran as an influential member and give it the rights it is

due● You also wish to see the UN is no longer influenced by the rhetoric of the United States

and other Western nations against Iran

Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance: Ali Tayebnia

Background and HistoryBorn on April 5, 1960 in Isfahan, you are the brilliant-minded Minister of

Economy/Finance. As an academic and a loyal supporter of Iranian politics, you obtained a B.A. and M.A. in theoretical economics, and Ph.D in public economics, all of which came from the University of Tehran. (The only exception came from the one-year study away during your Ph.D years and you attended the London School of Economics to fulfill this requirement.) Of course, you came first in class all three times. Since graduating, you have taught at the University of Tehran and other equally prestigious institutions.

According to some rumors, it was in your younger years that you participated in the 1979 coup of the Shah, taking several American embassy officials hostage. Since you have shown to be in support of the new government, it seems likely that this is true, and as such, you have considerable power with other members of your cabinet and the people’s support.

As a demonstration of your prowess in politics, you became the secretary of the economic commission from 1997 to 2000, and then the deputy head and senior official of the Presidential Office for planning under the former President Mohammad Khatami from 2001 to 2005. You continued your prevalence in politics by becoming the secretary of the economic commission in 2005.

Although you disagreed with Mohammad Reza Aref during the disputed 2013 presidential elections, you were his economic advisor and served a year under his leadership. When the opportunity came to become Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, you immediately took the nomination and on August 15 was approved 274 votes for and 7 votes against, obtaining the highest approval votes of all time in Iran. You currently belong to no political party.

Connections● You maintain connections within all of the departments in which you previously worked

as well as with the Universities you attended prior to your rise to political power● You have good-standing relationships with the Minister of Education, the Caretaker of

Imam Khomeini Mausoleum & Khomeini's Grandson and the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Portfolio Powers● Overt

○ You are very eloquent in your prose, and thus exert massive influence over policy makers and Iranian citizens in your addresses

○ You control Iran’s monetary policy and have a sizeable influence over its fiscal policy

○ You oversee all Foreign Direct Investment as well as movements of funds throughout the Central Bank of Iran

○ You naturally have access to all resources and connections providable by the government that allow you to carry out your duties as Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance

● Covert○ You have recently discovered that certain members present in the committee have

been embezzling funds to further their own agendas. It is up to you on whether you would like to investigate and act openly or secretly on these matters

Aspirations● Currently you are dealing with stagflation in Iran. You blame the Ahmadinejad

administration for this effect on the Iranian economy, citing the mistakes in the Mehr Housing Scheme as the primary agent responsible. Under this plan, the former administration raised market liquidity prices to over $100 billion USD which creation high inflation. As part of your future plans, which were hinted at by Rouhani during the election process, you intend to take control of market liquidity and inflation, and avoid any “shocks” to the market. You are in favor of Iran’s central bank, believing that it can help with your plan that directly cuts people’s monthly share to protect the national economy.

● For current plans, your major concern is the budget deficit as well as expanding ties to other states, including Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and India. You recognize that bilateral relations are how to improve the economy, and therefore side with many of the Foreign Minister’s remarks, despite no substantial external support.